This week saw leadership changes in two major political parties of Britain and Australia that, according to analysts, would bring in major policy shifts. While Britain’s opposition Labour Party elected a new chief to regain its lost glory, the ruling Liberal Party of Australia has voted out its leader and serving prime minister Tony Abbott and inducted his long-time rival Malcolm Turnbull after months of infighting and crumbling voter support.
Leadership change in Australia has gained attention in recent years with the country getting its sixth prime minister in eight years as a result of widespread public criticism against government policies. Liberal Party’s ballot that ended Abbott’s leadership after just two years in power was attributed to public resentment on spending cuts in his first budget in 2014 and pro-colonial policies. Recent surveys have shown ruling coalition’s dwindling popularity that would become the biggest test for the new premier when the country goes to polls next year.
Jeremy Corbyn, a radical leftist who professes an admiration for Karl Marx, has won British Labour Party’s leadership election by a landslide margin. His victory reflects support for left-wing movements across Europe, with Syriza winning in Greece in January and Spain’s anti-austerity party Podemos performing well in opinion polls. It also signals a new shift in the ideology of the Labour Party which lost its left-leaning image over the past 30 years mainly due to the pro-right policies of former prime minister Tony Blair who had signed up to austerity, neo-liberalism and US-led wars in the Middle East. Blair’s pro-Israel policies have been widely criticised as well during his role as Middle East peace envoy, a post he served for eight years without success.
After the resignation of Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour Party following its defeat in the 2015 general elections, Corbyn’s name was nowhere in the favourites list before he became the dark horse by defeating Andy Burnham with a huge margin. Corbyn garnered 59.5 percent of the first preference vote against Burnham’s 19 percent. But many of Labour’s senior figures, including Blair, have warned that Corbyn’s leadership will be catastrophic, keeping the party out of office for years to come.
A little-known MP who emerged as the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn has announced major policy pledges that include scrapping of Britain’s nuclear weapons, rationalising some industries such as the railways and bringing the Palestinain resistance movement Hamas and Lebanon’s Shia militia Hezbollah to the Middle East peace talks table. His first speech after assuming the new post was at a rally in support of refugees. He is also preparing for an apology for the unjust Iraq war advocated by his predecessor Tony Blair. Only time will tell whether the new Labour leader can help the party regain its glory with people-friendly policies•
This week saw leadership changes in two major political parties of Britain and Australia that, according to analysts, would bring in major policy shifts. While Britain’s opposition Labour Party elected a new chief to regain its lost glory, the ruling Liberal Party of Australia has voted out its leader and serving prime minister Tony Abbott and inducted his long-time rival Malcolm Turnbull after months of infighting and crumbling voter support.
Leadership change in Australia has gained attention in recent years with the country getting its sixth prime minister in eight years as a result of widespread public criticism against government policies. Liberal Party’s ballot that ended Abbott’s leadership after just two years in power was attributed to public resentment on spending cuts in his first budget in 2014 and pro-colonial policies. Recent surveys have shown ruling coalition’s dwindling popularity that would become the biggest test for the new premier when the country goes to polls next year.
Jeremy Corbyn, a radical leftist who professes an admiration for Karl Marx, has won British Labour Party’s leadership election by a landslide margin. His victory reflects support for left-wing movements across Europe, with Syriza winning in Greece in January and Spain’s anti-austerity party Podemos performing well in opinion polls. It also signals a new shift in the ideology of the Labour Party which lost its left-leaning image over the past 30 years mainly due to the pro-right policies of former prime minister Tony Blair who had signed up to austerity, neo-liberalism and US-led wars in the Middle East. Blair’s pro-Israel policies have been widely criticised as well during his role as Middle East peace envoy, a post he served for eight years without success.
After the resignation of Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour Party following its defeat in the 2015 general elections, Corbyn’s name was nowhere in the favourites list before he became the dark horse by defeating Andy Burnham with a huge margin. Corbyn garnered 59.5 percent of the first preference vote against Burnham’s 19 percent. But many of Labour’s senior figures, including Blair, have warned that Corbyn’s leadership will be catastrophic, keeping the party out of office for years to come.
A little-known MP who emerged as the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn has announced major policy pledges that include scrapping of Britain’s nuclear weapons, rationalising some industries such as the railways and bringing the Palestinain resistance movement Hamas and Lebanon’s Shia militia Hezbollah to the Middle East peace talks table. His first speech after assuming the new post was at a rally in support of refugees. He is also preparing for an apology for the unjust Iraq war advocated by his predecessor Tony Blair. Only time will tell whether the new Labour leader can help the party regain its glory with people-friendly policies•
