One of the most memorable lines in the usual political joust that is Prime Minister's Questions was back in 2007 when, acting Lib Dem leader, Vince Cable said: "The House has noticed that the PM, GordonBrown, remarkable transformation from Stalin to Mr Bean".
Well, quite possibly we are seeing another Labour leader undergoing the same change, except in reverse. Corbyn seems to be transforming from Mr Bean to Stalin.
Gordon Brown: From Stalin to Mr Bean
Vince Cable's commenthit so hard, because we knew what he meant. Brown had become PMwith reputation of a "Chancellor with a clunking fist".
He had an iron - man of steel - grip over The Treasury, refusing to even letBlair see the budget in advance. So, when he came to power, Brown did seem a little Stalin-esque. However, by the end of 2007, he looked more like Mr Bean. He had dithered about whether to call an election in the Autumn, and looked weak for not doing so. Northern Rock had collapsed, and the economy was in crisis, and the Government looked incompetent. This was Brown's transformation from Stalin to Mr Bean; but, what about Corbyn's transformation from Mr Bean to Stalin.
Jeremy Corbyn: From Mr Bean to Stalin
When Corbyn was electedLabour leader, we thought he was a nice guy: a bit bumbling, a gentle, sandal-wearing, vegetarian whodid not have the steel tomaintain dominance and leadership.
However, we have witnessed an absolute refusal by Corbyn to give uppower. The Party has seemed to less "nice",and been smeared with being anti-Semitic and misogynistic. Corbyn himself has surrounded himself by a small group of allies, who have closed him off from the rest of the Parliamentary Party. His allies have kept his door locked, so that oppositional members of his Shadow Cabinet cannot get access to him.
And even more extreme, is the violence carried out by Corbynites on rival leadership candidates: death threats, bricks through windows etc.
Is thisa fair critique of Corbyn?
Jeremy Corbyn, himself, is probably far from Stalin-esque. He does genuinely seem to be a gentle soul. However, within Parliament is dictatorial, since he has very limited support, and his allies are acting as his bodyguards blocking thedissenters from reaching Corbyn.
And, outside Parliament, his supportershave threatened and attacked those who want Corbyn out. So, there is a little bit of a dictator in Corbyn and, whilst he is a gentle soul, his supporters are very slightly Stalin-esque.
