So much for the Tory/Trotskyite entryists. Jeremy Corbyn won very convincingly among full time members of the Labour party as well as among the £3 “supporters”.
This was a stunning victory for the Islington MP. He took 59% of the vote on the first round. Not even Tony Blair won by such a margin. Corbyn's lead over rival Andy Burnham was nearly 40%.
Liz Kendall, the only avowedly pro-Blair candidate, won only 4.5% and would have lost her deposit had this been a parliamentary election.
Corbyn's is a crushing mandate which makes it very difficult for the right to mount the “coup” that was forecast by the Blairite Labour spin doctor, John McTernan.
Get over it. Labour is now a different party.
It has often been said that Corbynism began in Scotland, and there is some truth in that. It was Nicola Sturgeon's forthright advocacy of anti-austerity anti-nuclear policies during the general election that emboldened the Corbynistas.
But of course, Corbyn is not a nationalist, of any description, and is on record as opposing another independence referendum. However, his policies on Scotland are ill-formed and he seems minded to let the Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, lead on Scottish issues.
Corbyn will certainly work with the SNP MPs in Westminster. You can be sure Labour will not abstain on the Tory welfare bill in future. On Trident, he will clearly be in the lobbies with the SNP 56 in opposing its renewal. Though whether many of his MPs follow him is another matter.
It remains to be seen how the Corbyn effect will play in Scotland. UK Labour is now significantly to the left of the Scottish National Party, at least in areas such as opposition to Nato and commitment to outright privatisation.
Nicola Sturgeon isn't sounding worried. But after this leadership election she no longer has the left field all to herself. New Labour is now old Labour.
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