Last nights TV debate: Leadership is about unity and listening to everyone

Last night the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, went head to head in a live TV debate on ITV. Much will be said and written about the debate and much will be made of the audiences reactions, and indeed there has been much commentary on both leaders receiving laughter from the audience.

Johnson, when asked if truth is important in politics matters received very audible hilarity. Corbyn was on  the receiving end of a few laughs when, after constantly being asked by Johnson and the adjudicator to clarify which side he would pick if there is another referendum, leave or remain, Corbyn continued to reply that Labour would put a deal with the option to remain to the public in a confirmatory vote, and did not back remain or leave. This is especially has received criticism simce, with some saying it was as a sign of weakness and poor leadership on the opposition leaders part. I suggest the opposite is true.

If Corbyn chooses a side, he immediately alienates the other. We already live in a hugely divided country. It goes beyond leave or remain. It includes those who are getting poorer and those getting richer. It’s a generational divide with the age gap between young and old widening in political principals and beliefs. The union of the United Kingdom itself is divided with the rise of nationalistic rhetoric with the likes of a growing SNP, Plaid Cymru, etc…not to mention the crisis of English identity with the rise in popularity of party’s such as UKIP, the BNP and the Brexit Party. This has cultivated the Brexit crisis that we are now in.

Identity is a massive issue in politics and Labour are offering a solution for everybody when other parties are siding with either leave or remain. Now, more than ever, we need politicians who will aim for unity and who will listen to everyone’ concerns. We need to end the division that is poisoning our wonderful country. Only Labour is offering a solution.

One rebuff to this is that many MP’s in the Labour Party have already chosen sides with some advocating leave and other remain. Notable remainders include Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary. Many say that this means they will ‘go against’ a deal Labour created to leave. My stance? People are allowed to have an opinion and to be fair, the deal hasn’t been agreed or written yet and Labour are not in power. It’s all hyperbole and conjecture. If Labour come to power and negotiate a deal, perhaps people will change their mind. Jeremy is allowing people to have their own opinion. That’s democracy.

Here is a man showing true leadership. Corbyn is standing in an attempt to unify the country and truly put Brexit to bed by asking the people to decide on the final say by including everyone. That is democracy is action. That is true leadership. This should be applauded and supported.

Unfortunately though we live very much in a society ever more in need for quick answers and quick fixes. We are the age of tinder, Uber and Amazon prime. We want to make quick often binary decisions. We have news corporations that dub this election as "the brexit election" and so Corbyns stance may be lost by many as people are forced to pick sides without time to really think about things. Only time will tell though what will happen.