Tasting Notes: Most famously known as Hannibal Lecter’s
beverage of choice, Chianti is a mysterious red wine from Tuscany.
Characterised by its spicy, smoky and fruity flavour, it is perfect with a
plate of cured meats (especially prosciutto) or… liver.
In a country where there are arguably only two real
contenders for politcal power, Labour have not done the best job in proving
themselves to be a viable alternative to the current Conservative government, seemingly
cannibalising itself with factious in-fighting.
Owen Smith’s leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn, instead of allowing the party to debate ideological
issues and thrash out a policy both sides can get behind, has instead further exposed the divisions, weakening the party from inside like an apple with
a rotten core.
Jeremy Corbyn remains the favourite; according
to the most recent YouGov poll for The Times, he is which claimed Corbyn was likely to receive 62% of the vote, compared to Smith’s 38%, seeming to confirm the ongoing
prediction that Corbyn will win.
A complex character, Corbyn has completely transformed Labour
from a weak and arguably aimless party, under Miliband, to a bi-polar party which suddenly
has a split personality, neither of which seems to be much better than Ed. Whoever wins, there is the very real possibility that a
chunk of the membership will fall away which will be a tragedy for the party's prospects in the next General Election.
But can this be prevented?
Writing
for The Guardian, Anne Perkins thinks it can, commenting: “Whoever wins has
to be magnanimous. As a matter of urgency, the party must sort out the mess it
has created.”
And it has created a mess. The fact that the clashes have
resulted in threats that the Labour Party conference will need to be
cancelled, not due to any external threat, but because no security
firm would agree to take on the role of keeping the peace, shows that
differences in opinion are not merely superficial and ‘forgivable’.
This amount of passion and desire for a greater Labour
future is admirable, but the party is self-imploding; if they can’t rule
themselves how on earth are they going to run a country that is still divided by the EU referendum?
The issue does not just lie with a differences in policy, but
also with the fact that Corbyn is so demonised and disliked. By contrast, Owen isn’t
hugely disliked by the media, he is just tolerated as the better of two evils.
Speaking in The Independent, Charlie Hammonds makes a very good point in his article
entitled “I’m a reluctant Corbyn voter because Owen Smith isn’t the Labour Hero
any of us want or need”.
He comments that: “Smith does not seem to inspire anyone on the basis of his
policy, charisma or his vision of a new, progressive Britain. Instead, those
who believe Corbyn has ripped apart their beloved party, united in desperation,
are willing to turn to anyone in their time of need and make them their hero.”
Labour needs a leader which the whole party can get behind if
they stand any chance of winning the next election. While the Conservatives may
be tainted by Brexit, at least Theresa May seems to be doing a good job of uniting
the party behind her, remaining realistic and balanced in her approach to
leaving the EU.
In her first major interview since becoming Prime Minister,
Theresa May warned Andrew Marr that Brexit would not be “plain sailing” but
that she was committed to tackling the process rather than kicking it “into the
long grass”. May's comments on PMQ's today seemed to suggest total transparency was on on the agenda but nevertheless, her commitment to leading
the country forward in a decisive and pragmatic way still seems to be at odds with
what is occurring in the Labour camp right now.
Luckily for Labour, May has ruled out the possibility of a
snap election.
The most recent media blow to Corbyn has actually
underlined that divided support continues to do more harm than good.
For those who are unaware, this involved the reggae
pop group UB40 (famous in the 80s and 90s) whose original members recently voiced
support for Corbyn. A humorously drawn parallel, identified by the media, found that the second generation of
the band, formed after the original group split, have declined to support
Corbyn’s bid seeming to mirror the current situation quite well: old Labour in support, but after a bitter split (about Corbyn’s performance in the
EU Referendum) the reformed group now wants to go in a ‘different direction’.
So what does the future hold for Labour?
When the results of the ballot are announced on 24th
September, the immediate aftermath will be crucial. If Corbyn can convince the
disenchanted that he will be a real competitor in the next General Election not the scruffy, opinionated and grumpy man portrayed by the media, Labour may
have a chance.
The problem is... he is scruffy and opinionated! I
have also yet to see a picture of him smiling.
Why Chianti?
As mentioned in the tasting notes, Chianti is famous for
being the beverage of choice for the most well know fictional cannibal,
Hannibal Lecter and it does seem that the Labour Party is cannibalising itself.
I am in no way trying to paint Corbyn (or Smith for that matter) as a psychotic
serial killer, but what they are both doing the party is gruesome and
difficult to watch.
However, this is as far as the analogy goes, as Hannibal is
also a sophisticated and charming character… I can’t extend that compliment to
either Corbyn or Smith, unfortunately.
From a wine-centric view point, the making of Chianti is
a wine which has various styles. The flexibility of blends, which constitute a Chianti, accounts for its variability in taste, and so it is with Labour at the moment.
The taste can vary from floral and herbaceous to deep and smoky, with spicy undertones. Owen seems to represent a lighter version of Corbyn, offering a palatable alternative that can be drunk
every day. Corbyn is more like an aged Chianti; it has a taste of
tobacco and leather,
In this great analysis of Chianti by the website, WineFolly, I don’t
think Corbynites could deny him being compared to anything else:
“There will be a little coarseness and tartness on the
palate, but these aren’t flaws, they are [just] classic characteristics.”
Enjoy!
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