Jeremy Corbyn was given a very warm welcome at Labour’s conference and you can understand why ("Corbyn: Poll win gives me Trident mandate", The Herald, September 30). He’s a welcome relief from the slick, infinitely malleable careerists who have dominated Labour’s leadership team for the past few years. He has principles and values and I believe he will stick with them.
However, what isn’t yet clear is whether Mr Corbyn has any solid policies that would translate his values into a feasible programme of government. In his rather rambling way, he declares his desire for a better, more decent, more equal society. That’s great, but how do we get there? The only prescription we’ve had from him so far is vague talk of taxing the rich and more government spending. If only it was that easy.
Mr Corbyn doesn’t help his cause by being economical with the truth. In his conference speech, he said: “I don’t believe £100 billion on a new generation of nuclear weapons taking up a quarter of our defence budget is the right way forward.”
In fact the UK’s annual defence budget is about £37bn; the budget for Trident’s replacement would be spread over 40 years, an average of £2.5bn annually, or seven per cent of the defence budget. Mr Corbyn must know that, and he doesn’t do himself any favours by mis-stating the figure while standing behind a sign saying: “Straight talking. Honest politics.”
Perhaps Mr Corbyn is indeed, as Iain Macwhirter wrote, the "Whatever Labour" leader (The Herald, September 29). On a range of vital issues, he seems to accept that many of his MPs disagree with him and won’t vote with him in Parliament, just as he so regularly refused to vote with his party when he was a backbencher. That is a recipe for chaos. Labour would cease to be a functioning Opposition in Parliament; they would be a shambles.
Doug Maughan,
52 Menteith View,
Dunblane.
Having listened to Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, reaffirm his opposition to Trident on Radio 4, it was rather bemusing to note his Labour Party quietly vote to continue their support for the renewal of Trident without any debate on the issue.
Labour delegates at the conference in Brighton reaffirmed the party’s "Britain in the World" policy document, which makes clear the party’s “commitment to a minimum, credible, independent nuclear capability, delivered through a continuous at-sea deterrent”.
This revelation is really rather confusing, especially given the fact that Jeremy Corbyn in his keynote speech said that Britain should not “spend £100bn renewing weapons of mass destruction”. It is also particularly surprising given that the party’s widely-anticipated conference debate on Trident renewal will not take place.
This is yet the latest U-turn by Mr Corbyn since his election, and it is clear that he has no control of his party. Labour are quickly changing Mr Corbyn, rather than Mr Corbyn changing Labour.
The Labour Party continues to be bitterly divided and lacking credibility, reaffirming its commitment to Trident one day while its leader opposes it the next.
Alex Orr,
Flat 2, 77 Leamington Terrace,
Edinburgh.
Very wisely, Nicola Sturgeon and her advisers are keeping their counsel regarding the election of Jeremy Corbyn and how it might affect Scottish politics. What is clear is that we are witnessing a man on a mission, passionate and utterly focused upon bringing about a U-turn in Labour`s fortunes. We all wish to see a more caring society where equality and social justice reign. We watch with interest and mutual hope.
However, Mr Corbyn intends visiting Scotland on a regular basis. Let's wait and see whether he has the humility to get to know us, perhaps giving himself time to learn something from our own way of government and so avoid making any more serious gaffs, already well documented. He is a man in a hurry and we know how easy it is to make mistakes if we don't look where we're going.
Janet Cunningham,
1 Cedar Avenue,
Stirling.
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