The latest polls show the Corbyn spy smear has completely backfired

Polls_show_Corbyn_spy_smear_backfired-Hero


Support us and go ad-free

The right-wing media’s recent smear against Jeremy Corbyn appears to have failed. A YouGov poll for The Times shows that support for the Labour Party has risen since the allegations that Corbyn was a Soviet collaborator went public.

Oops!

Despite the steady stream [paywall] of articles on the Corbyn spy story, public opinion of the Labour Party has improved. Among Labour voters, opinion on Corbyn has also improved. 64% [paywall] of respondents said that the accusations did nothing to change their opinions.

Meanwhile, 6% actually had a higher opinion [paywall] of Corbyn as a result. Only 8% [paywall] of respondents thought less of Corbyn as a result of the accusations. The majority of these were Conservative voters. That’s hardly the result some media outlets may have anticipated.

Waning influence

The Czech spy story had many plot holes, so it’s hardly surprising that many of the accusations haven’t stuck. But the fallout from this whole debacle does show that papers like The Daily Mail and The Sun may be losing some of their ability to sway the general public.

Previously, taking on [paywall] the right-wing press would have been politically risky for a Labour leader. But in a recent video, Corbyn challenged owners of these papers and promised that “change is coming.” The time of Labour leaders pandering to the tabloids appears to be coming to an end.

Seeing the public brush aside this flawed story is a welcome sign of change. However, it is not yet cause for celebration. The right-wing press has gone to great lengths to discredit Corbyn and the Labour Party. So while this spy story has largely proven unsuccessful at damaging the Labour leader, it’s unlikely to be the last.

Get Involved!

– Join The Canary, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.

– Read and support other independent media outlets:

Media Diversified, Novara Media, Corporate Watch, Red Pepper, New Internationalist, Common Space, Media Lens, Bella Caledonia, Vox Political, Evolve Politics, Real Media, Reel News, STRIKE! magazine, The Bristol Cable, The Meteor, The Skwawkbox, Salford Star, The Ferret.

Featured image via screengrab

Support us and go ad-free

We need your help to keep speaking the truth

Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.

Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.

We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.

In return, you get:

* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop

Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.

With your help we can continue:

* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do

We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?

The Canary Support us

Comments are closed

Related articles