What Martin Amis thinks of Jeremy Corbyn

No, Corbyn does not live in America

Oh silly me, I thought we were talking about Amis!

Thanks Ana

rose! Wrong bloke...

No, Corbyn does not live in America.

He actually criticised the Tory front bench. It was the Mirror that gave that headline, as you would have realised if you had read the article.

"Now, at an event at Leeds University, Corbyn hits back at a Tory front bench who went to Eton and Oxford. “They are over-educated and under-learned,” he says."

“I want to live in a society where there is decency, where there are human rights, where there is opportunity for everyone. I believe this country is going in the wrong direction."
Well, he has a nerve - doesn't he live in America?

“I want to live in a society where there is decency, where there are human rights, where there is opportunity for everyone. I believe this country is going in the wrong direction."
...something else he said in the article, just to balance things a bit.

Didn't durhamjen post a link giving Corbyn's reaction? Part of which was that 'tories are over-educated and under-learned' or some such twaddle...?

I think he is probably much too busy to concern himself now he has got over the surprise.

Has anyone found out what Jeremy Corbyn thinks of Martin Amis (if he thinks of him at all, which I very much doubt, why would anyone).

Ana, I marched against Blairs government and was a paid up member of the Labour Party , many labour supporters did

One can accept him as the democratically elected leader without agreeing with everything he stands for.

Just as plenty of people "went off" Tony Blair while remaining Labour supporters.

Some Labour supporters are in between too, dj, as you know. Corbyn did not get 100% of the votes.

Aren't Libdems in between, bags? Look what happened to them.

Can someone explain how those on the right who supported the Tories are standing up for those affected by poverty?

By the way, there are a lot of right wing marches - not very edifying. I'd rather see left wing than right wing marches. Is there anyone on here who will admit to having been on a right wing march?

So can someone explain to me what the government is currently doing to make this country a better place for those who live in it.

It seems to me that anyone who doesn't agree with the most vocal lefties on here is branded as right wing and it is assumed they "couldn't care less" about issues affecting those in poverty.

I'm willing to bet, for instance, that I've been branded one such. People seem to be forgetting that there is quite a range of left-wing thought and that it's possible to disagree with Jeremy Corbyn and still support left wing ideas.

With us or agin us mentality. Black and white and no in betweens mentality. It gets annoying. And I think that's what was meant when someone said they felt "hounded off" political threads.

What you don't understand is not everyone turns up at the ballot box with just one thought - what's in it for me
I would imagine that nigglenellie, like most people, understands that right enough (although I cannot speak for her!) anniebach - but people's perceptions of what is right for the country and its citizens may differ!

People whose political allegiance inclines to the left do not have a monopoly on care and compassion for their fellow men and the most vulnerable in our society, Anniebach.

Of course the marches you mention are labelled as 'left wing' because they're demonstrations against the actions of the current government, which is (for want of a better description) right-wing.

I'm sure not everyone who campaigns against certain government proposals and who donates their time and money to support charities which help the needy is a fully paid up member of the Labour Party.

If there are demonstrations to protest against poverty/ tax credit cuts/ bedroom tax/ unemployment etc they are called left wing marches , seems those on the right couldn't care less about people in poverty or we would have right wing marches ?

A leading British novelist of his generation and a leading left-wing figure-well who knew??

Niggly I know someone who has been a Trotskyist for about 40 years. She has pretty hard left views I guess. Never encountered anything remotely close on Gransnet.

nigglynellie I quite understand why a person who is very anxious because they have a potentially life-threatening illness or who is in pain might decide to use whatever resources he/she has to get speedy and effective treatment.

Alan Bennett is not responsible for the parlous state of our NHS, or slave wages or exorbitant energy, transport and housing costs. Our tax system is meant to provide a means whereby the majority of people pay a fair proportion of their income in order that they or the state can provide for such essentials. Most of the high profile people who have strongly objected to these cuts and to growing inequality, such as Charlotte Church, have stated they would be quite happy to pay considerably more tax in order to enable this to happen. I think it is commendable that people who are well able to afford to pay for private provision for themselves are campaigning to protect public services for the benefit of all.

Compare their stance to what appears to be that of very many wealthy individuals who begrudge paying almost any tax, despite their millions, and who shriek about leaving the country if there is a suggestion that they should pay a bit more.

Who would you describe as having "far left" views, and do you consider it is only they that have grave humanitarian and practical concerns about the current austerity measures?

'when you look at left wing marches'....
...can I have an example of the marches referred to please.

A thread started about a person who dislikes Corbyn is accepted , Jen adds the name of someone who likes Corbyn and is criticised , Ana gives names, I give names - I am called childish , mmmmmmmmmm

So the likes of Alan Bennett shouldn't have any concern for anything which does not affect him directly nigglenellie ? What you don't understand is not everyone turns up at the ballot box with just one thought - what's in it for me , that is the Thatcherite way , you remember surely - greed is good

Anyone with other than far left views can be subjected to being regarded as someone akin to Ghengis Khan and howled down accordingly which can be intimidating but when you look at left wing marches, not unsurprising.
As for champagne socialists, it can get pretty tedious being lectured by these extremely wealthy people about things that won't actually affect them one way or the other, i.e., education, how many of their children attend the local Comp, good or bad? The NHS? doubt they're on the waiting list! Alan Bennett ( whose work I love) by his own admission went privately for his cancer treatment, costing him many thousands of pounds. How sensible and I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with the attitude of don't do as I do, do as I say, even more so from left wing politicians.