Sir, – The commentary in the British media over the rise of Jeremy Corbyn is very revealing of the right-wing bias inherent in their reporting. Not only is the fact that quite a number of Mr Corbyn’s supposedly radical, “far left” policies – such as renationalising the railways – are actually quite popular with the general public completely ignored, but so too is the potential to bring previously disillusioned and apathetic voters into the Labour fold.
Despite the fact that the SNP in Scotland managed to do exactly that in the aftermath of the Scottish referendum, resulting in the near annihilation of Scottish Labour, many British commentators completely dismiss the possibility of it happening in England. Maybe, like many Scottish nationalists, they believe that England is a lost cause for the left? – Yours, etc,
TOMÁS M CREAMER,
Ballinamore,
Co Leitrim.
Sir, – With the prolific and unprecedented transfer of wealth to the very few across Ireland, the UK and Europe, this should be the hotbed for an upsurge in support for “the left” and all that it has historically stood for – the fairer distribution of wealth.
Yet “the left” is failing miserably at grasping the opportunity that is being presented to it on a plate. In the Republic, we have a raggle-taggle of unco-ordinated socialist Independents as the alternative.
I applaud everything Sinn Féin has done to promote peace in the Northern Ireland, I genuinely do. As a credible and electable party on the left, however, its policies are simply untenable.
On the other side of the Irish Sea, the British Labour party has elected a dinosaur not seen since the days of Michael Foot!
I despair. A credible and reasonable left-of-centre force in Irish and UK politics seems unattainable at this time but was never more necessary. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN COOPER,
Broadford,
Co Clare.