HISTORY OF A LOSER: CORBYN 2020

Part Six.  While many of us cannot wait to see the back of 2020, the year is still young.  However, the Labour leadership of Jeremy Corbyn ends today.  It should have ended on December 13th, but Corbyn's ego and his taste for adulation meant he couldn't quite let go.  He spent a couple of weeks sulking over his humiliating defeat, but his swagger soon returned and he and his loyal followers have spent the last few months telling the world that Corbyn was right all along.  Sad, and deluded.

03.01.20 - Tensions between the US and Iran culminate in the assassination of an Iranian general in Iraq.  Corbyn, as always, bats for Iran.

19.01.20 - In an act of pure spite Corbyn nominates John Bercow for a peerage.  The move soon backfires as the former speaker is subject to a series of bullying allegations.

25.01.20 - Corbyn doesn't nominate a candidate in either the leadership or deputy leadership contests, but it's no secret that Long-Bailey and Burgon are his desired team

26.01.20 - The 'Dolly Parton challenge' goes viral.  We submit Jeremy's version.

26.01.20 - Despite his official position of neutrality, Corbyn lets slip during a party function

03.02.20 - Another Islamist attack is instantly downgraded by Corbyn and Abbott as an 'incident'

07.02.20 - Many leftists still don't understand the difference between Twitter and reality

08.02.20 - In one of the biggest shocks of the leadership campaign, Corbyn's own constituency party nominates Keir Starmer instead of Long-Bailey

14.02.20 - The first coronavirus meme, little did we know at the time that we would all soon be in peril

04.03.20

11.03.20 - Tory minister Nadine Dorries becomes the first MP to test positive for coronavirus and the left unleash a barrage of hatred online, once again adopting the exact opposite of the 'kinder, gentler politics' once espoused by their leader

16.03.20 - Corbyn's ever helpful brother chips in with a crazed conspiracy theory about coronavirus

25.03.20 - Despite over 70s being told to stay indoors, Corbyn continues to work in Parliament and do media interviews in person

31.03.20 - Corbyn's followers again react with blind hatred when the Prime Minister reveals his coronavirus diagnosis

03.04.20 - As Corbyn bows out, all Momentum can do is laud Corbyn's 'achievement' in the 2017 general election (which he lost)

Game over.  History will not be as kind to Corbyn as his followers would like.  The 2017 general election was merely a stay of execution and took Labour down a path that would cost them potentially many more years out of government.  Coronavirus could change everything, but the crisis is still in its infancy and it's far too soon to tell.  What we can be certain of is one thing - if Starmer wants to drag Labour back to the centre he is going to have one Hell of a fight on his hands.  If Corbyn had it tough, then Starmer may well have it tougher.

HISTORY OF A LOSER: CORBYN 2019

Part five.  2019 was an epic rollercoaster ride for Corbyn.  As the year began it was still unclear where he and his party stood on Brexit, but when it came to crucial votes Labour MPs overwhelmingly blocked Brexit at every opportunity.  Theresa May cannot get her withdrawal agreement over the line and Brexit is postponed - twice.  She quits and Boris Johnson takes up the reins with a promise that Britain would leave at Halloween, deal or no deal.  He fails and yet another general election is the only way out of the stalemate...

17.01.19 - In the first of two tantrums Corbyn says he won't discuss Brexit with Theresa May until she rules out 'no deal' and orders his colleagues to follow suit.  Some of them, including Len McCluskey, ignore him and visit Number Ten anyway.

30.01.19 - Corbyn still at loggerheads with May

04.02.19 - Labour look set to reject May's Brexit deal, but a tiny number of Labour rebels back the government in key votes

07.02.19

11.02.19

18.02.19 - Nine MPs quit the party in the space of a week, eight of which go on to form the pro-Remain Change UK

21.02.19 - The Home Secretary revokes the citizenship of Islamic State child bride Shamima Begum.  Corbyn and Abbott spring to her defence.

25.02.19 - Corbyn begins to flirt with the so-called 'People's Vote' movement

26.02.19 - Bob Moran's cartoon in the Daily Telegraph sums up Corbyn's Brexit conundrum

27.02.19 - A Brexit betrayal is now in full swing

28.02.19

04.03.19 - At Finsbury Park Mosque a Brexiteer squashes an egg on Corbyn's head.  John Murphy is later sentenced to 28 days in prison.  An old tweet from Owen Jones backfires.

08.03.19

14.03.19 - MPs vote to extend Article 50

20.03.19 - Corbyn storms out of cross-party Brexit talks after Chuka Umunna and his newly formed 'Independent Group' are invited

23.03.19 - Corbyn gets into a bizarre tangle with a member of the public while posing with an alsatian

09.04.19 - Corbyn meets with old friends to give them the inside track on his current Brexit negotiations with Theresa May

11.04.19

14.04.19

27.04.19 - Corbyn is spotted cosying up to Sinn Fein's leader at a Belfast funeral

28.04.19 - As President Trump prepares to attend a state banquet with the Queen, Corbyn boycotts the occasion

01.05.19 - Corbyn focuses heavily on green issues ahead of the local elections, but new figures reveal Labour councils are worst for recycling - including Islington

03.05.19 - With Brexit having been postponed a second time and no breakthrough in sight, both the Tories and Labour are thumped in the local elections.  The Tories lose control of dozens of local authorities and Labour make a net loss of six councils.  Thousands of ballot papers across the country are spoiled by Leave voters, while Remainers turn to the Lib Dems and Greens.

04.05.19 - Longstanding Labour member and Remainer Tony Robinson quits the party

13.05.19

16.05.19 - The European elections are to proceed, at great expense, despite the fact Britain was supposed to have left the EU by this point.  Labour campaign solely on a message of name-calling against UKIP and the newly formed Brexit Party.

22.05.19

23.05.19

24.05.19

27.05.19 - As expected, the European election results are grim for both Labour and the Tories.  They win 14 seats between them, compared to the victorious Brexit Party on 29.

28.05.19 - With Theresa May on her way out and now an irrelevance, Corbyn comes under pressure from all sides, as depicted in Patrick Blower's cartoon

01.06.19 - Even the European Cup final is an opportunity to mock Corbyn's tricky position

04.06.19 - Another visit from President Trump is a temporary distraction for Corbyn and his followers.  At the resulting protest two elderly men are attacked.

09.06.19

15.06.19 - When an oil tanker is attacked in the Gulf, Corbyn immediately defends Iran

21.06.19

28.06.19 - Despite Corbyn's persistent demand for another general election, he is now the most unpopular opposition leader in 40 years

02.07.19

09.07.19 - Corbyn finally gives in to Remainers and commits to a second referendum policy

10.07.19 - An edition of Panorama exposes rampant anti-Semitism in Corbyn's party with the help of Labour whistleblowers

26.07.19 - Now up against Boris Johnson, Corbyn rallies his troops for a 'national rally' and ramps up demands for a general election.  Around 300 people turn up.

31.07.19 - Corbyn is polling worse against Boris than he did against May

02.08.19 - Labour finish fourth in the Brecon by-election, narrowly saving their deposit by 0.25%

06.08.19

08.08.19 - As the constitutional stalemate over Brexit deepens and the Tories no longer have a working majority, Corbyn looks to seize power in a coup.  It only leads to more ridicule.

17.08.19 - Talk of a coup intensifies, but the opposition is divided on who should be caretaker PM.  Corbyn insists it must be him, but many of his own MPs, the Lib Dems and Tory rebels disagree.  Ardent Remainers Harriet Harman and Ken Clarke are discussed as alternatives.

18.08.19

19.08.19

20.08.19

27.08.19 - While the opposition argue among themselves, Boris continues to lead on the international stage

29.08.19 - Parliament is prorogued, leading to nationwide protests two days later that Remainers claim will "bring the country to a standstill".  Corbyn and Momentum hope to hijack the protests and force Boris from office.  It doesn't quite go to plan.

03.09.19 - With no end in sight to the Parliamentary stalemate, Boris suggests a general election may be the only way forward.  Corbyn immediately backs off.

10.09.19 - A general election is put to a vote in the Commons.  The bill is defeated and not one Labour MP supports it.

18.08.19

22.09.19 - The Labour conference in Brighton is dominated by Brexit and Remainers are furious that Corbyn will not commit Labour to back Remain in a second referendum

27.09.19 - Remain MPs vent their fury at the government in a series of furious exchanges

30.09.19

03.10.19

06.10.19

11.10.19

16.10.19

26.10.19 - A Halloween Brexit is all but dead in the water, but Corbyn still refuses to entertain a general election

28.10.19

30.10.19 - Corbyn's hypocrisy is exposed once more

31.10.19 - On what should have been Brexit Day, Corbyn mocks Boris Johnson's failure to deliver it, despite the fact Corbyn's party were instrumental in blocking it

03.11.19 - With no way out and subject to widespread ridicule, Labour cave in to the inevitable and an election will take place on December 12

05.11.19 - Project Fear returns and now it's Corbyn himself in the driving seat

07.11.19 - As general election campaigning gets under way, a series of former Labour MPs urge voters to back the Conservatives, including Ian Austin, John Woodcock, Gisela Stuart, Tom Harris and Ivan Lewis

12.11.19

13.11.19 - When the leader of Islamic State is finally located and killed, Corbyn criticises the operation

14.11.19

15.11.19

16.11.19 - Labour's free broadband pledge is widely ridiculed, having come on the back of so many other expensive pledges

21.11.19 - Labour launch their manifesto in controversial circumstances.  

27.11.19 - It's clear that the only way Corbyn can get into Number Ten is on the back of another hung Parliament and SNP support

29.11.19 - Feedback from Labour activists suggests Corbyn's name is 'toxic' on doorsteps

01.12.19

02.12.19 - Corbyn continues to promote a conspiracy theory that the NHS will be sold off to the United States

04.12.19 - Corbyn continues to make a lame stand against President Trump

07.12.19 - Corbyn's 'proof' for his NHS claims is an anonymous Russian source

08.12.19 - Labour are keen to talk about anything but Brexit in the election

13.12.19 - The general election is a disaster for Labour, the worst performance in a general election since 1935.  Corbyn doesn't immediately resign, but says he "won't lead the party at the next election".  His followers desperately look for excuses as to why the defeat was nothing to do with him.  Brexit is blamed initially and, to a lesser, extent 'right-wing media smears'.

24.12.19

TOMORROW:  2020, Corbyn stays on as leader until a replacement is elected