Corbyn too frail to be PM?

I don’t think Corbyn thought he had a hope of winning the leadership.

McDonald had tried to stand but couldn’t get enough support, he then ran Abbott’s campaign for leadership, she was out, then he ran Corbyn’s campaign.

I feel so sorry for
Margaret Beckett who gave Corbyn her support because she
thought all sections of the party should be heard as was previous far left MP’s heard. Now we have a party where only the chosen one’s are heard

The story in the Times has done whatever was wanted - a discussion about Corbyn fitness to govern based on rumours, innuendo, unattributed ‘quotes’. There’s very poor journalism and maybe ( unless the various ‘sources’ were lying) a breach of the civil service code. I think it’s really a shame how successful this type of journalism is - it sets the agenda for what ‘they’ want us to talk about and many of us fall into that cynical trap rather than express concern about the sort of society we have become. I’m quite capable of criticising Corbyn’s or Johnson's abilities as leaders without needing the crutch of over-hyped ( to say the least) ‘stories’ by poor journalists telling me what to think about and what to think about what they’ve told me to think about.

Corbyn was a good constituency MP. He was a traditional oppositionalist as a back bencher. He isn't and never was, someone with the abilities needed to lead a political party. He certainly isn't an effective leader of the LP and if its to have any chance of winning the next election, the LP needs a new leader sooner rather than later.

Corbyn for whatever reason, hasn’t lived up to the electorates expectations.

The shambles that is Brexit ( what did we expect) is overshadowing all other issues .
What a sad mess we have allowed ourselves to become & for what ? If what we are seeing is an example of life outside the EU, then there isn’t much hope for the Country to be anywhere near as productive & respected as it was & should be.

I question the constant claims by political reporters and the press when they repeat ‘a minister told me, ‘ ‘someone close
to May, Corbyn , told me’.

Eloethan, I one hundred percent agree with your above post. What has been stated and leaked to the press is nothing short of disgusting.

It's pretty rich raising concerns about Corbyn's capabilities when the government we have in place at the moment has been incapable for three years of resolving the issue of Brexit, which was initiated by their leader. May was totally incompetent in her posts as Home Secretary and Prime Minister, and the two candidates now standing for leadership seem equally - and worryingly - incompetent.

The establishment has always briefed against Labour leaders and ministers who they feel might "rock the boat". It happened with Wilson and Benn, and Corbyn has been a constant target from day 1 of his election. Now faceless and nameless civil servants appoint themselves as medical experts. As trisher said, they are supposed to be politically neutral but that is, and has always been, very questionable.

Excellent post POGS - very fair and balanced and hitting the nail on the head ( the one before your last one)

Callistemon

POGS
' I suppose the quote A Labour spokesman said is also questionable unless that person is named, so perhaps I should apologise for quoting that. However, as it was not in any way detrimental to Corbyn, I will leave it to stand.'
---

My post was not questioning any particular post or poster but a generalisation. When quoting another who uses ' A Labour spokesman said ' what else could be quoted?

I do agree, POGS and agree that civil servants should remain absolutely impartial; this was apparently voiced at an 'open meeting'.

Whatever they may think of any politician, potential PM, Johnson or Corbyn, they are there to carry out their duties as instructed by the government of the day.

I suppose the quote A Labour spokesman said is also questionable unless that person is named, so perhaps I should apologise for quoting that. However, as it was not in any way detrimental to Corbyn, I will leave it to stand.

I don't like this ' an anonymous person told me' type of journalism and that applies to left and right of politics.

The Times, is not neccessarily a right wing paper and has fluctuated allegiance over the years to both left and right of politics. The Times is at present a pro ' Remain' paper.

I find it hypocritical that politicians are seen as fair play if the individual dislikes them but out of bounds if the individual does like them.

To my mind what has happened to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn is savage and they are not the first nor the last politicians to have their private life nor health challenged, there have been some pretty tawdry comments made about Theresa May's health and appearance for example. On one hand some will say it is important to know about ' A ' because he/she is the PM or may be the next PM but not about ' B ' because they like them and find it offensive. It should matter not a jot.

The fact the Civil Service are involved is certainly of concern and of late there have been times when I think the Rubicon has been crossed by Civil Servants who seem to have lost the art of neutrality. The art of neutrality has been lost in Parliament also by those it is expected of.

If Corbyn has ill health then I would expect to learn this by factual evidence not the tittle tattle journalism that prevails and I wonder what / who lies behind such stories in reality.

I am not so sure that it as straight forward as some think but it is poor journalism to hide behind an unknown source or unknown person to make a point, end of.

\oh!
I did wonder how it was relevant

Very funny Callistemon I was referring the link the video I posted. Corbyn. Though I am fit, healthy and active, very lucky to have always had good health. I am in my late 60s by the way not that old but not that young.

I'm pleased to hear it, Grany
Are you an older or younger Gransnetter?
No need to answer if you don't want to

Exactly where is the evidence that senior civil servants have been saying this, or they have ever discussed this?

This all smacks to me of internecine fighting in the Labour Party, those trying to get JC out start spreading false rumours, claiming that they had heard that civil servants have been discussing JC's health and saying he has had a stroke, lost his memory etc etc . Corbyn's enemies then spread the word by rushing out public announcements of their shock and horror that these rumours are being spread thus, succeed in giving all these inuendoes and rumours maximum publicity while looking excessively innocent and hurt and saying' Nothing to do with me gov, I was just denying these shocking rumours.

They have really been very successful in getting these rumours out everywhere.

I hope he is but he would say that if he wasn’t surely

I am fit healthy and very active person.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48813656

We tend to think so Jane but I wonder if it’s always been so, but we see things now that we didn’t as it’s impossible to keep things quiet.

Politics really is a nasty business, nothing seems off limits any more. Many people who have had mini strokes are even more health conscious after the event and often fitter than they were before.

I’m not a fan JC and not a fan of Boris, not even a fan of Boris’s party, but some stories about him are being dredged up from 30 years ago. Then there was the comment from Andrea Leadsom about Theresa May not having children during the last leadership election. What a rat race.

Ooops forgot Callistemon ?,

Callistemon, please it is far too early for that post ???

I now need to clear my brain ?????

the man isn't Adonis
Anniebach you don't know that!
After all, three wives and at least one lover have found him irresistible.

Good grief, the man isn’t Adonis, he has a weakness in an eye muscle.

Perhaps he has IBS too, he does sit on the loo as do we all.