Corbyn harking back to LAB’s GE2017 vote share is no solution to the party’s current challenges
We will deliver the change the people of this country need and deserve. pic.twitter.com/17NRn222s4
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 20, 2019
For many he is seen as the problem
Little noticed in this week’s political turmoil was some new polling from YouGov that had Corbyn dropping to a new low in its well/badly ratings. The trend was in line with all the other leader ratings that we’ve seen the last few weeks that whatever the pollster and whatever the question format Corbyn’s position is on the decline.
The historical record shows that for an opposition party to re-take power the leader has to have a clear ratings margin over the incumbent PM.
The 54% negative number from YouGov was not as bad as the 72% who told Ipsos MORI that they were dissatisfied but it is still the worst it has been with this particular question in this polling series
This coincided with the 8 MPs announcing their departure with their reasons all pointing to the leadership of Corbyn particularly on Brexit and his failure to address the ongoing anti-semitism within the party.
Looking back since the 2017 General Election the factors that seemed to have triggered a decline in Corbyn’s personal position have related to anti-semitism and his ambivalence on Brexit. It was the events in March last year that lead to MPs demonstrating against him outside Parliament that ended his comparative ratings honeymoon.
That Corbyn’s position is secure because of the membership base should give lots of hope to those opposed to LAB.
Labour’s fundamental problem is that it has a leader who is not popular even amongst many of those who voted for the party in 2017 but is almost totally secure in his position.