Forum: Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn "This time let us protect our public services from attacks"

Published: 20 May 2010

THE elections of May 6 produced an intriguing pastiche of results across the country and in London.

There was a swing to Labour in Scotland, which helped to stem the party’s losses, and many marginal seats were retained in London, for example Glenda Jackson’s narrow win by 42 votes in Hampstead and Kilburn.

In Islington, the results were excellent from Labour’s point of view, with Emily Thornberry’s majority going up from a wafer-thin 400 to 3,500.

In my constituency of Islington North I was honoured by the support I received from more than 24,000 people; 8,000 more votes than I received in 2005.

In Islington and Camden, the councils returned to a Labour majority and this again is good news for the people of both boroughs.

In the election campaign voters showed deep concerns over the economic situation and the problems that were raised with me were mostly surrounding housing, with overcrowding of council and housing association accommodation being a big issue, along with enormous rents in the private-rented sector and the poverty trap that’s associated with them, and leaseholders’ concerns over charges.

Everyone seemed to understand that the solution to the housing crisis does not rely on the free market but on public investment in new council housing to give all of our children a decent start in life. Bad housing and overcrowding lead to so many other social ills.

The much-loved and valued National Health Service is recognised and understood, and one of the high points of the election was finally winning our trenchant campaign to save the Whittington A&E department and thus secure the long-term future of the hospital.

Many voters seem to share my view on the wrongness of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I made it clear in my election material that I was opposed to both of these adventures and to the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system.

I believe that MPs have a duty to be honest with their electorate and be prepared to stand for what they believe in.

The result of the election is a coalition government, which nobody voted for, and we are beginning to see the inevitable tensions between free-market Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

How the budget deficit is to be handled was discussed in a limited way in the election campaign but when the budget is produced in June, with its proposed £6billion cuts, consequent huge job losses in the public sector and the knock-on effect in the rest of the economy, there will be the greatest agitation.

Those on housing waiting lists and dedicated workers in the public services in local government and the civil service, who did not create the banking crisis, are the ones expected to pay for it through job losses and loss of facilities and hopes for many of the most vulnerable in our society.

The brutality of the cuts in Greece and Spain and the enormous opposition to them show what happens when economic orthodoxy and monetary values overtake human needs and society’s demands.

In the 1980s, local government was under siege from central government; this time let us support public services and keep them going as being necessary and an integral part of economic regeneration, not the butt of central government attacks.

Gordon Brown resigned straight after the election and the party is now about to embark on a much-needed and quite lengthy leadership debate. Sadly, nominations for this position can be made only by MPs and an absurdly high threshold of 33 supporting MPs could mean a very restricted choice. 

In the last leadership contest, despite the support of large numbers of party and trade union members, John McDonnell could not get on the ballot paper. I hope this time it is different, and members of the party are given the opportunity to vote for someone who has opposed both wars and stood up for civil liberties in parliament when they’ve been under attack through anti-terror legislation.

The welcome high turnout in the election showed a new thirst for politics, particularly among young people, which I am delighted about and welcome. Political activity brings social change and democracy brings reform. The absence of both leaves our society inequitable and divided.

• Jeremy Corbyn is Labour MP for Islington North.