1. He’s different
Nick Clegg, David Cameron, and Ed Miliband literally look and sound the same: well-spoken, well-dressed men in their forties and fifties from university backgrounds. Jeremy Corbyn is distinctive, a normal guy we can all relate too. In the 80s, Cameron could be seen in black tie with his fellow Bullingdon Club members whilst at Oxford University with fellow classmates such as Boris Johnson. In stark contrast, Corbyn could be seen being taken away by police at an anti-apartheid protest. He clearly stands up for things he believes in, shows dedication, and has always been a committed campaigner and a politician who passionately champions the causes he supports: CND, free Nelson Mandela, justice for Pinochet victims, Guildford Four, Stop The War, and now anti-austerity.
2. He’s straight talking
Although Corbyn may have opinions some find controversial, he sticks to them regardless of other people’s views. For example, his belief on not having a monarchy. He’s got ideas and a clear vision, which are key elements to great leadership.
3. He’s more left-wing
His policies are more left-wing than previous Labour leaders. These include scrapping tuition fees by having them paid for by increasing taxes on company profits, cutting subsidies for businesses, stronger anti-tax avoidance rules, and having the richest paying a greater proportion of the taxes.
4. He’ll apologize for the Iraq war
Mr Corbyn vowed to formally apologize for the Iraq war if he became leader. In his first speech, he thanked his competition, Tony Blair, and did not belittle them — this shows maturity, sincerity, and team leadership. Cameron previously called him a terrorist and a threat to our country, yet Corbyn has never hit back, he has simply got on with the jobs he wants to do. Corbyn was criticized recently for “snubbing” the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup, citing prior commitments. As Boris Jonhson put it, “This is turning into a national joke… Come on Jezza: Scrum down for England.” His prior commitment was a running weekly appointment to meet with his constituents, where he sat down for a private meetings with people about their housing situations. One of the women he helped said that, despite a waiting room full of people outside, and having recently been elected Leader of the Opposition, he nevertheless took his time to listen to her story and fully understand the issues. He treated her with compassion and dignity throughout, and promised to personally look into the case. On top of that, he insisted she return later so he could meet her children. By this time, it had reached 5 pm on a Friday, when he should otherwise have been en route to the RWC. That’s scrumming down for England, in my opinion!
5. He’s a threat to the opponent
Big newspapers such as The Times are more right-wing and side with the Conservatives, so their views towards Corbyn will mostly likely be more negative, spreading this image through the newspaper itself. In recent editions, The Times has branded Corbyn a variety of different names, including “disloyal” and “untrustworthy.” A recent video came out showing the Tory party laughing at Corbyn when he raised the issue of “affordable homes” in Parliament — a policy that Tories have created to benefit the UK, when in fact it’s only affordable to 5% of the population. The Tories laughed when he began to talk and read the public’s letters and situations out loud. The Tories continued their laughter rather than listening and understanding the public’s views on their own policy. We need someone to vocalise the problems that we face as a majority.
