There are lots of reasons why Jeremy Corbyn should be our next Prime Minister. Whether it’s investment in our services, the abolition of tuition fees, or renationalised industries, there’s a long list.
But one statement from Corbyn on 4 December really summed up why he should be PM. It wasn’t about policy, it wasn’t about the manifesto, it was about the trappings of the actual office itself. And it shows why he’d be such a radically different leader.
Giving up Chequers
Corbyn stated that he would give up Chequers, the country estate of the PM, if he’s elected. According to the Independent:
The 1,000 acre estate has been in public hands since 1917, when its then owners, former minister and First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Arthur Lee and his American heiress wife Ruth, donated it to the British government on the grounds that the prime minister should not necessarily be expected to own their own rural retreat
Asked whether he’d give up the rural pad for homeless people, Corbyn replied:
I would indeed. It can’t be right. We’re a country with 150 billionaires, and we’ve still got people sleeping on the streets.
Radically different
This one statement exemplifies the type of leader Corbyn would be. Not only is Labour proposing radically different politics, Corbyn and John McDonnell are showing they do not covet the entitlements of office that the elites of the establishment think they’re due.
But this is also why the establishment fears Corbyn and why its trying so hard to ensure he isn’t elected on 12 December. Corbyn has previously stated that he “wasn’t born to rule” and promised:
to seek power for our party in order to share that power out across the country
And as he tweeted:
We'll pull down a corrupt system and spread wealth and power to all. pic.twitter.com/BNIsrK5X30
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 4, 2019
No wonder the billionaire press are going full tilt to try and discredit Corbyn. The wealthy seem to believe they have some divine right to rule. But they don’t. And now there’s actually someone with a chance of becoming PM who’s challenging that right, they’re terrified.
There’s one week to go
In seven days time, the UK will go to the polls. It’s an understatement to say this is a massive opportunity for the country. And really – what’s not to like? Even if Labour only delivered on half of its pledges, we’d all see a huge improvement in our daily lives.
But the next seven days are critical. This election has already been dirty, manipulative and full of lies. The next week is likely to be even worse as every establishment politician – whether it’s the Tories, Lib Dems or the centrists – and every establishment paper – whether it’s the Guardian, the Times or the Sun – will pull every trick they can to make sure that Corbyn doesn’t get the keys to No 10.
So we all need to spend the next week countering whatever lies and misinformation these people pump into the public domain. Whether it’s on social media, down the pub or talking to neighbours, we need to seize every opportunity to directly challenge the establishment narrative.
We’ve got a real chance to elect a PM who not only has great policies but will give up the benefits of office simply because he doesn’t think they’re fair. Let’s grab that chance with both hands because if we fail, we’re not going to have an opportunity quite like it again.
Featured image via Wikimedia – Rwendland
