Jeremy Corbyn’s thanks were highlighted in the Morning Star. Just this fact shows how moderate is portrayed as extreme. There was absolutely nothing there that should not be part of mainstream politics today. It appears it is in many people’s beliefs and that has been realised in the result of a democratic election of leader of the Labour Party. A veil of deception has been lifted from our eyes, although media and all those politicians personally benefitting from a corrupt establishment are going to overdrive to maintain the fog.

The first day left Corbyn battling to establish a front bench, difficult in any circumstances, but impossible if some of those nursing defeat had their way. It was achieved with criticism over the inclusion of women. This was surely a denial of all Corbyn was about. Two of the top places, his own and his deputy’s, were already decided in the ballot, leaving the Shadow-Chancellor. Cries of cronyism here. Continuing comment that his supporters were young and needed to grow up. Thus a commentator on radio 4 explained how she had been on demonstrations and shared the excitement. Then she grew up and saw that she had to accept things as they were. Clearly she missed the opportunity to stop and think about the alternatives that exist to austerity because those like George Osborne had said there was none. Labour largely agreed coming up with it’s own watered down version. This in spite of the fact it was the Tory intention all along to dispense with the state and its provision. Ideological and entirely unnecessary. So many see and understand this and its apparent consequences. Fed up with the response of the careerists in politics so many have decided that enough is enough.

Hope across austerity-ridden Europe has been expressed with Podemos in Spain commenting on Corbyn’s victory seeing it as a reaction to the damage neo-liberalism is intensifying glaring inequality on populations. Back home those who didn’t support Corbyn have been thinking it through, moving from “it will never work” to “it certainly won’t if we all say so. If we don’t try we’ll all be blamed.” Moving along from restating her position, Polly Toynbee makes a case for support in order to deal with the rampant and vindictive Tory agenda.

The appearance together at a gathering focussing on Israel is revealing the depth of the Labour candidates’ poverty. This is with the honourable exception of the previously discounted candidacy of Jeremy Corbyn. The other three vied with each other in their sycophancy saying that support for that state was eternal and unconditional. Trashing Gaza, seizing Palestinian land in the West Bank and holding prisoners, including many children, in abject conditions is not on their radar. Neither is the continuing trauma of so many children, both Palestinian and Israeli, not there for consideration. Of course we’ve seen this all before with Middle East Peace Envoy Blair. They’ll all say that they need to uphold such unspeakably inhumane ideals as necessary to get them and Labour elected. Support for Corbyn in anti-austerity suggests that his contrary stance is appreciated by rather more than elitist Britain’s corporate power admit.

If nothing else Jeremy Corbyn’s entry into the debate has opened crucial areas of debate that wouldn’t have been had if confined to the dire poverty of the rest. Not that any areas of the establishment believe in making it easy with interviewers lowering the pitch by asking him and others if they believed that his inclusion would make Labour unelectable. Well it most certainly will be if it doesn’t involve itself in such a serious debate and then translate this into serious politics. The people of Scotland told Labour clearly what they thought, regrettably by voting in a nationalist party. (Others using such a term are considered taboo – as in BNP, NF and National Socialists in Germany.) Corbyn has proved himself well able to deal by contesting those who have tried to draw him into their vacuous debate by referring to the pressing issues needing their, and our, attention.

Blair talks about Corbyn’s supporters requiring “a heart transplant”. Judging by this display of hard heartedness by the other contenders, like their spokesman, hearts would be replaced by stones!

Looking at an outside,informed view from an economist, Joseph Stiglitz, indicates how such central issues as austerity are sidelined by those inside the “Westminster bubble” but, as in the US, the feelings of the majority who have watched wealth increase exponentially in the hands of an elite. It is just this elite which is misusing the power that this wealth and influence give. Vested interests incorporations dealing with our essentials like food and drink and inessentials like increasingly sophisticated war materials dominate them. The revolving door in our parliament ensures that those we elect are seduced by their power far than by the vote we gave them. It’s easy to see why the Israeli lobby (not supported by many Jewish people) became a place where candidates fell over each other to please. Another US commentator, journalist Eileen Fleming, makes a comment on the issue. (See comments).

I have a choice of candidates here in the Perry Barr constituency of Birmingham. Khalid Mahmood is the sitting Labour MP and no one is questioning that he will continue. At the last General election I was a candidate myself, but not for the Labour Party. This time there is no candidate for the Socialist Labour Party for parliament, although there is one for the City Council Election. Paulette Hamilton is the candidate, nearly deselected by efforts of her two comrades, and she again is expected to hold onto her seat.

My first thought is for the great need for a fairer system than first past the post which reproduces the same old same old so Austerity is going to continue in one form or another. Austerity is a measure determined by a Westminster elite controlled by big business and huge unaccountable corporations who have been successful in maintaining their power through the status quo. Politicians from all parties in Westminster become part of the revolving door culture very quickly. A few individuals hold out. Dave Nellist, standing on the left in a Coventry constituency and winning his parliamentary seat, would only take a working person’s salary. He mentions how on the first day in parliament he was offered directorships from lobbyists. That’s the culture and that’s how it works. Today’s poll won’t alter that. Unless.

The Socialist Labour Party is fielding 8 candidates in Wales. That means it achieved a party political broadcast. Ken Capstick speaks about the dire situation many families and individuals find themselves in exacerbated by 5 years of Tory/LibDem rule. Arthur Scargill presents the SLP manifesto.

Clearly the Socialist Labour Party hasn’t the support or the money to challenge the status quo. However many detected a breath of fresh air when three other parties were introduced into the televised election debate. I exclude UKIP and Farrage because the air around that party in not only stale, it is poisonous in the way that surrounded the growth of the Nationals Socialists in Germany in the thirties. Scottish and Welsh Nationalists and the Green Parties, all with women leaders, articulated sentiments which more than a few people understood. Nicola Sturgeon’s assertion that many of the things the Scottish people want – freedom from the Westminster system currently in place – is shared wider. In the she’s right. The problem is that as Socialists we want to see a cohesive force across the currently United Kingdom which does away with austerity, privatisation and run down of what we used to call “essential services”. If Sturgeon is still heading for a separate Scotland but still wedded to other bastions of elitism like Europe, no I don’t want to go there.

Today I know I have a choice between Labour, Conservative, LibDem, and then Green Party, UKIP and TUSC. While UKIP supports withdrawal from Europe as does the SLP the reasoning is fundamentally different. Placing the blame on and fanning hatred of migrants is not the reason for the plight of the most vulnerable. It is a Capitalist system of greed that needs to be displaced. There is no cosy, cuddly form, wished for by many of the other parties. It is vicious and exploitative as has been shown in the 5 years of Austerity we have just lived with. Its press has shown just how it is with the Sun, Mail, Telegraph screaming at people to ensure their Capitalist paymasters maintain their power and influence. It is clear at the moment that with the prospect of a hung parliament that public opinion doesn’t continue to follow to the degree it once did when Neil Kinnock was denied victory.