James O'Brien's Instant Reaction To Labour's Election Campaign Launch
31 October 2019, 14:34 | Updated: 31 October 2019, 17:50
James O'Brien and political editor Theo Usherwood give their instant reaction to Labour's election campaign launch.
Jeremy Corbyn is best in this campaigning stage, the two agreed, as Corbyn comes from a place of political activism instead of working as a special advisor and coming up through the system.
Talking of his opening speech, Theo said Corbyn linked a "Trump style" Brexit with the "selling off" of the NHS. Just yesterday Corbyn told LBC that Boris Johnson went to the United States and met with "five drug companies to talk about how they could come into our NHS market."
Corbyn's supporters chanted "not for sale" and Theo pointed out that for Corbyn, "it's about the engagement in politics of people and that's what Jeremy Corbyn wants to do, he wants to run a popular campaign."
Corbyn also criticised the Liberal Democrats for campaigning to revoke Article 50 and called it "undemocratic" which Theo likened to the words of Johnson and May.
Both Labour and Conservatives are threatened by the Liberal Democrats, James said, because the Remain voting loyalists in both parties may be tempted to vote for Jo Swinson.
Theo also pointed out that if the Tories become the Brexit party and narrow in their ideology, it leaves much more room in the centre for the Lib Dems.
However, despite this potential opening in the centre, Labour are trying to project authenticity and a possibility of real change in their campaign message.
