Reassessing Corbynism: success, contradictions and a difficult path ahead

[Denzil_DC]

6. Do you have any idea the economic mess the UK was in before it joined the EC?

There were pressing reasons why the UK joined. You're sounding exactly like those blinkered Leavers who drone on about "We used to be fine in the old days, warm beer, dollies in mini skirts, yadayadayada." It was known as "The Sick Man of Europe" and - not coincidentally, "The Dirty Old man of Europe", as its attitudes to ecology were terrible. Something then changed ...

If you can't grasp the economic implications and how much Brexit is going to feed us exactly into the hands of the very billionaires who sponsored the ruddy thing in the first place, then I can't help you. I'll break out my crystal ball and predict that the punitive measures that will be brought in and the erosion of workers' rights will make the EU look like paradise.

Your own crystal ball showing what can and can't be achieved within an evolving 27-nation democratic body an ocean away is remarkable. There are changes coming within the EU. They may not go all the way I'd like to see, but this whole Brexit fiasco has done nothing to help. So no, "we both" don't know the future, not least with the major European elections happening this year.

I'm glad I'll never be in a foxhole with you - you'd surrender before a shot was fired.

Your prime consistent concerns seem to be the survival of the Labour Party and what serves its interests, not what serves people's interests.

That there is the fucking problem, and has been for decades.

To paraphrase an old line from US politics: Corbyn's the Leader of the Opposition. He's not your boyfriend.

I'm actually getting bored hearing about him at the moment. I'd hoped the sense of relief after the election might have lasted a bit longer.