Morning Star reject (1)

As your editorial correctly stated, Labour MPs need to remember that the "votes they gained at the general election are not personal testimonies" (Morning Star, 22/07/16). Whilst I firmly believe that Labour, under Corbyn`s leadership, can win in 2020, the proviso is that the party has to be united. Corbyn`s opening speech in his leadership campaign was inspirational and "self-assured", but his performance at PMQs, the most publicised political event of the week, was not, with the result that the new PM was given too easy a ride. This cannot be allowed to happen again.

     More preparation of questions, and anticipation of answers, are essential. Why not tackle her on the outrageous claims she made on her first day, when she appropriated the language of equal rights and social justice? What legislation is she planning to reduce the inequality about which this so-called "compassionate Conservative" apparently cares so much? Would she support legislation to force all employers with more than 21 staff "equality pay audits"? If she cares so much about gender inequality, what does she intend to do to about the fact that thousands of women in their early sixties have been conned out of their rightful state pension? Mention May`s support for co-determination, and ask how this needs the support of government legislation, if the obscene pay gap between bosses and workers is to be reduced. Would she support laws reducing the pay ratio to, for example, 20:1?

        Anticipation of her responses, including her inevitable retaliation by attacking Labour, and her avoidance of direct answers, should lead to Corbyn`s exposure of her "compassion" as fake! It`s not rocket science, but May cannot be allowed, as previous Tory incumbents too often were, to get away with tricking the electorate again.

        Corbyn would reject rehearsed sound-bites and pathetic point-scoring, but he has to demonstrate, not only which party is on the side of the ordinary people, but which one has, for the last six years, governed on behalf of the wealthy, imposing austerity as a "political choice, not economic necessity". If Corbyn doesn`t make that absolutely clear at every PMQs, and hammer the point home repeatedly, he will, sadly, lose support in the country.