Remarkable Corbyn, successful Corbyn, socialist Corbyn lasted nearly 5 years!!

How did he do it?  A man of the people, comforting the Grenfell survivors; standing up at PMQs for that workhorse and kingpin of transport modes - the bus; railing against all our many wars in foreign lands down the decades.

He skillfully steered a middle course over the Brexit shambles realising that his party was riven down the middle with pro and anti Europeans.  The Brexit General Election was his undoing because he tried to be democratic, principled and wanting to give his party and the nation a final say in what should be done.  But the irrational, impatient electorate had had enough of all the shilly shallying and simply wanted out after three and a half years of indecision.  Should he simply have seen the mood of the electorate for out and simply advised out and campaigned for out?  Would that have meant a much closer fight between Johnson and him last December?

He wanted massive spending to end austerity and to put things right for the poor, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable.  Ironically, that is now happening with Covid-19 but not to build that fairer, more equal and sustainable society that should be everyone's top priority.

For me, he was the best Labour leader I have seen and probably the best since Keir Hardie.

Thank God for a different kind of leader

A consensual, collegiate leader who is decent, honest and principled (as everyone says Corbyn is but, "we certainly don’t want him"!)

For goodness sake, not a leader who forces his Cabinet to toe his/her line but who is the first among equals.  A leader prepared to listen and change in the light of advice from people who know what they are talking about.

A leader who does not rule or reign but who serves humbly with no strutting around, self importantly, on the world stage. (I have heard 'good' things of Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs who is also mid 60s)

A leader who sensitively and, from time to time, questions, challenges, checks on what his fellow departmental leaders in the Cabinet are up to but does not compel obedience to his/her wishes.  Who lets them get on with the job without constant prying.  An encourager and supporter of his/her Cabinet members.

A leader who no longer jumps into military interventions/interference in foreign lands without the clear say so of the United Nations General Assembly.

A leader who is the prime, meaning foremost, the first minister meaning servant of the people rather than an all powerful dictator who coerces and compels others to do as he/she says.

A leader of integrity and honour who sticks to his bottom, middle and top line of no aggression, ever -no first, second or third use of WMD - ever.  A WMD pacifist, only as Corbyn is.