The year 2017 will have to be one of unity for the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn has been behind the curve in recent polls, consistently trailing Theresa May by double-digit margins. Before Corbyn focuses on becoming Prime Minister, he must be able to unite his party under his sole leadership and policy ideology.
Plans for the post-Brexit United Kingdom have not only divided the Parliament but the Labour Party and their leader Jeremy Corbyn as well. The only way the Labour Party can gain momentum towards the upcoming general election is to put all their effort in the 2017 local elections. A grassroots political approach can help mend the Labour Party as well as form a strong connection with the average citizen. Corbyn and the Labour Party reportedly expect Theresa May to call an early general election for 2018. The reason being is that the Conservative Party thinks that they can increase their majority lead in the Parliament. This would dwindle the powers of the Labour Party, and make opposition towards the Conservative agenda almost irrelevant.
Mr. Corbyn has been known as the Labour Party rebel for a while now, after voting against the political whip of the Labour Party a multitude of times. This attitude will have to change if Corbyn truly wants 2017 to be a successful year for him, as well as the Labour Party.
“I hold out the hand of friendship to Labour MPs who oppose me.” This is an essential step forward for a Labour Party which now realizes that if it wants to win the General Election, it must collaborate. Otherwise, they’ll be viewed as a protest party if they do not. National Polls have shown an unfavorable viewpoint of the Labour Party from the perspective of U.K. citizens. However, this is likely to change over the next year due to the surge of membership in the Labour Party. More Diversity can be seen in the Labour Party than ever before, and more citizens who haven’t participated in politics are now joining the side of the Labour Party.
The National Polls haven’t contributed these factors into their new studies and this is why a general election is likely to be inaccurately predicted. We can look over to the United State’s 2016 election to see the same result. Citizens who didn’t participate in politics suddenly joined the 2016 election resulting in a Trump victory. This is not to say the same will happen in the next general election, but a trend towards a progressive Labour Party will surely increase. Jeremy Corbyn should and will be optimistic about 2017, but he must also sacrifice some of his own political will. The Labour Party knows that if they continue in the divergent direction they are headed, that they’ll be boasted out of the Parliament and have very little say. If Corbyn can make amends with some of the senior officials of the Labour Party, expect his ratings to go up in the polls. This would garner support from lifelong Labour Party supporters which Corbyn will need for the general election.
The Labour Party’s destiny with Corbyn and vice versa are in their own hands. Yet, neither can be without one another if they want a shot at the general election. Local elections will be the first test for the Labour Party to measure their connection with the diverse citizens of the U.K. … Aand with an increasing membership in the party, it’s possible the Labour Party might garner a lot of leverage for Corbyn. 2017 is the start of what can be a revolutionized Labour Party, if they are to collaborate within the party if there is collaboration within. Be very optimistic, and do not strictly base your opinion or idea off of the polls, because as we’ve been seeing, they’ve become more and more inaccurate. Jeremy Corbyn says he expects to be the next Prime Minister, and with a Labour Party trend increasing, he just may be right
