Quote Originally Posted by countygump View Post
Electing Corbyn as leader did the Labour Party no favours. I've no doubt whatsoever that he is an honest and honorable man but his affiliation with some rather ''radical'' groups who he insisted were his ''friends'' made him such an easy target. At the time he was elected, it was decided to open up the voting for the leadership contest to make it more ''inclusive''. I think it was an initiative/idea from Ed Miliband if I remember correctly. You paid a few quid and that made you an ''affiliate member'' which gave you the right to vote in any Leadership contest. Of course, every Tory and his dog joined up for the sole reason of voting for Corbyn and making sure that he won the contest. You couldn't make it up? Anyhoo, makes you wonder what would have happened if Andy Burnham had won, as I believe he would have done before the voting rules were changed. On such small things, ay?
Margaret Beckett was to blame for allowing Corbyn to stand in the first place giving him his 32nd nomination at the last minute, thinking he had no chance of winning the leadership. A decision she's gone on record to say it was a big mistake.