There was an extraordinary moment in Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign on 15 May. And even the BBC couldn’t help but report it.
Standing ovation
On 15 May, Corbyn spoke at the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) annual congress. This was televised on BBC Parliament.
During the speech, Corbyn said the NHS is being “dismantled by stealth”, and vowed that Labour is “utterly determined to defend it”. He also promised to inject an extra £7.4bn per year into the health service throughout the next parliament and to reinstate nurses’ bursaries, axed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Indeed, one particular comment from Corbyn demonstrated that Hunt is almost a figure of ridicule in the nursing community:
Jeremy Corbyn makes a joke about Jeremy Hunt to the delight of the audience #GE2017 #RCN17 pic.twitter.com/seUh393CA8
— Ben Claimant 💚 Join a Union (@BenClaimant) May 15, 2017
And overall, there seemed to be significant agreement with what Corbyn was saying at the RNC congress. So much so that attendees responded to his speech with a standing ovation:
"Those who work in the NHS represent all that is good in society…" Jeremy Corbyn receives a standing ovation from nurses at #RCN17 #GE2017 pic.twitter.com/WQMJLwtxsV
— Ben Claimant 💚 Join a Union (@BenClaimant) May 15, 2017
Nurses on their feet to thank @jeremycorbyn – May so committed to workers she didn't even reply to the invitation #GE2017 #RCN17 pic.twitter.com/KhXEZ75ydS
— Dave Ward (@DaveWardGS) May 15, 2017
As union leader Dave Ward explained, Theresa May reportedly hadn’t even responded to the RCN’s invite.
You can see Corbyn’s full speech here:
This wasn’t the sum total of Corbyn’s campaigning on 15 May, either. As The Canary reported, he also spoke to a huge crowd in Leeds. And in the market town of Hebden Bridge, he even had to repeat his speech to people gathered outside, who were clearly grateful for the gesture.
Myth busting
Corbyn’s campaigning day came after an increase for Labour in the latest polling; and a sign of extensive support from the British public for his party’s policies in another poll after someone leaked Labour’s manifesto in advance.
Whether the party will make enough gains to win the general election is as yet unknown. But this visual show of support at public events does put some Corbyn myths to bed. Because people don’t turn out in their droves to see a ‘weak’ leader. And they certainly don’t rapturously applaud, cheer and whistle for someone who lacks ‘charisma’.
These events demonstrate that Corbyn is not what the media paint him to be. And people are realising that in their thousands. Just in time for when the election rolls around.
Get Involved!
– Register to vote in the 8 June general election.
– Discuss the key policy issues with family members, colleagues and neighbours. And organise! Join (and participate in the activities of) a union, an activist group, and/or a political party.
– Also read more Canary articles on the 2017 general election.
Featured image via Youtube
