Harry Smith: Corbyn’s politics of hope can hold Labour together

Optimism and faith in humanity have allowed me to keep buggering on through our nation’s dark periods in history like the Great Depression and the Second World War.

It has also kept me buoyant during the days of Margaret Thatcher when a conservative dusk began to creep over the country which promised to end the Welfare State that my generation built to prevent the suffering of our youth from returning to blight the lives of our grandchildren.

But in 2015, as austerity wends its way across Britain like a hard autumn frost, I find it more difficult to believed that fair play will overcome the interests of corporate lobbyists, political opportunists or the growing indifference of British citizens to their responsibility in maintaining our democratic institutions through voting and being well-informed on the issues of the day.

However, the election of Jeremy Corbyn this month as Labour leader restored some of my belief that hope and good sense can over come the politics of fear.

Despite all the warnings from Labour grandees and the mainstream press, ordinary people changed the Labour party’s political personality through grassroots social activism by picking Jeremy Corbyn to lead the party. For me, this indicates that even in our crass 21st century world, the power of democracy still has the potential to transform our society as it did in the 1945 election when Britain voted for a Labour government who pledged to make society better for everyone

Yet, since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader on a mandate given to him by ordinary Labour supporters rather than the party’s hierarchy, his survival to the next general election in 2020 has been put into question by the media and staunch defenders of Tony Blair’s middle-of-the-road politics. In fact, Jeremy Corbyn has been assailed, like no other leader of a modern major political party, for being a threat to our nation’s military and financial security.

But before we give credence to these omens of doom spread by political pundits whose allegiance is not neutral, we must accept that we live in a very nuanced world where knee-jerk reactions like our invasion of Iraq or our air assault on Libya caused more harm than good.

Moreover, we should be wary of critics who warn us Jeremy Corbyn will return us to the chaos of the 1970s because the real financial dangers we face over the next five years are from austerity and David Cameron’s desire to dramatically reduce our social safety network that protects society from the vagaries of life’s misfortunes.

This is why this year’s Labour party conference is probably the most important in a generation because it will determine whether Jeremy Corbyn can harness both the incredible energy and political diversity of his grass roots supporters and temper the disquiet and unease that the many adherents of New Labour have for him. He must do both if he is to survive and thrive as Leader of the Opposition.

Yet, I have enormous confidence that he will be able to accomplish this feat because Corbyn is a politician of enormous moral courage who not only stands by his word but does so with grace and good humour and never holds a grudge against those who disagree with his policies.

Besides, despite the misgivings that many in New Labour may have for Jeremy Corbyn, the principles he represent are not that divergent from theirs because both groups want to build a decent society for all citizens in our country.

We have to remember it was New Labour last year that asked me to speak about my experience as a lad in the 1930s before the Welfare State. My invitation to talk about life during the Great Depression was made because regardless of the ideological divisions in Labour it will always strive to make Britain a better and more inclusive society.

Not only this but New Labour must be given just praise, despite the many mistakes that were made during the Blair-Brown years, for the enormous good they did for our society, our economy and our country as a whole.

However, it is still wrong of New Labour to fear that Jeremy Corbyn and his policies will tear the party asunder or make it unelectable for generations to come. To be blunt, during this time of grave crisis where we must face the dangers erupting from Syria, an EU referendum and a housing bubble that is destined to burst rather than deflate, the country needs a vigorous opposition to our Government’s laissez-faire attitude to the troubles which beset Britain.

During this conference, and in the months to come, Britain will come to realise that Jeremy Corbyn – like Teddy Roosevelt – carries the force of reason, compassion and vision to make our nation a just society for all.

• Harry Smith, 92, is a Labour activist and author. Harry’s Last Stand and Love Among the Ruins, published by Icon Books, are available now. Join Harry Leslie Smith on Twitter @Harryslaststand.