THE UNDERDOG - They Sometimes Win

The votes have been counted. The election is done. I have a feeling that Theresa May will be looking over her shoulder for the foreseeable future of her political life and Jeremy Corbyn has galvanized UK citizens in to politics once more, which can only be a good thing. Many young people went out and voted last night, and that can only be applauded.

This is NOT a political post, I hasten to add. I will not force my political leanings on you, nor would I expect you to do the same to me. This is all about the underdog, the phoenix rising from the ashes, the person who has that integrity and tenacity to make a difference.

I am no political animal. I find most politics mundane and boring, but I do respect those public servants whose role it is to govern our country, but that respect is only given when they govern well. The UK is a prime example of how government and politics can change overnight. The General Election 2017 will stand as an example of that. Look at the final count below (courtesy of the Sky News website): -

There is now what is called a hung parliament as no party has a clear majority in the House of Commons. But look more closely. Labour (LAB - red) have made gains of twenty-nine seats in the House of Commons, while the Conservatives (CON - blue) have lost twelve seats. The Conservatives are the incumbent government right now with Prime Minister Theresa May who is there by default, as she was voted Conservative Party leader after the resignation of David Cameron after the Brexit debacle. This means that our current government in the UK have LOST twelve of their votes in the House of Commons when they vote on important legislation, on important items such as the negotiation with the EU to leave Europe.

Look at how many seats Labour have gained. They have gained nearly THREE times more seats than the Conservatives have lost. This is an incredible achievement by Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party. They have campaigned hard and given the UK hope. Hope that democracy will once again be the norm, rather than just one party (the Conservatives) holding all the cards with their House of Commons majority.

So why am I saying that the underdog sometimes wins when the Conservatives still have more seats that Labour? Well, I must say that for the first time yesterday, I felt that my vote, my democratic right, meant something. And I should say that looking at social media (I don’t read newspapers anymore), it also meant a huge amount to many others as well, with Jeremy Corbyn as the aforementioned underdog. Yes, he has not automatically won a majority in this election but he HAS created an environment that has completely upset the apple cart that is British politics. It is a hung parliament which means that the political parties now must form coalitions with other minority parties, to get a majority in the House of Commons. The Liberal Democrats have refused to work with the Conservatives again after they were royally screwed over at the last General Election, so where does that leave us? Labour surely would not form a coalition with the Conservatives, so who would form a coalition with Labour? We really don’t know yet. And this is exactly where Jeremy Corbyn and his party have won. They have pulled the rug out from the Conservative majority and made the House of Commons a vibrant hotbed of intrigue right now. Who will work with who? What happens about Europe and Brexit bearing in mind that Brexit negotiations are meant to start on the 18th June? It could even lead to a coalition government LED by Jeremy Corbyn, who would then oversee the Brexit negotiations.

As the underdog, Jeremy Corbyn has proved to his naysayers that he CAN lead the Labour party. That he CAN make a difference. He has done this by leading from the front, but it is the style in which he has led that has made the result. He has been a reasoned, considerate and tolerant leader. Sure, he does remind most of us of a certain age of one of our secondary school teachers back in the day, and he has been compared to that nice grandad that we all have or have had. But because of that approachable, distinguished demeanour, people have turned out in their droves to vote for him. London is now a Labour stronghold which speaks volumes. The Conservatives turned on him vehemently, especially in the press and the media with smear campaigns and the like, and he refused to lower himself to their level. He kept his cool and responded constructively, offering his insight, rather than soundbites, which Theresa May seems to think, if she kept repeating them, would control the public with some sort of subliminal neuro-linguistic programming.

On a personal level, I must say that I found the most recent terror attacks in both London and Manchester vile and atrocious. I have a daughter who lives in London studying for her degree and I found it all very close to home. However, when I heard Jeremy Corbyn’s response on 4th June after the last London attack, I saw exactly how human he is, by way of him expecting all the press and attendees at his press conference to stand for a minute’s silence to respect all of those affected by the attack. This is how he has won the hearts of his supporters and won their votes. By being human, by being respectful and by being a man of the people.

Being the underdog is often hard. You must take two steps to the leader’s one step. You have to fight every step of the way too. But when you fight in a dignified fashion with morals, with scruples and with respect for all involved, even your opponents, you are already winning. That moral high ground is often the best place to aim for. There is a saying the music industry; be nice to everyone on your way up, as you will often meet them on the way back down.

Jeremy Corbyn’s success last night was not expected. The Conservatives called a snap election thinking they would get a majority mandate in the House of Commons just before Brexit negotiations begin. They were wrong in spades. The underdog came out and fought back, both tenaciously and with dignity, thus proving that you don’t have to be nasty to be successful, just be respectful and show humility.

So, next time, when you know you are the underdog, whether it be for a job application, a promotion at work, or even when playing sport for your local team, remember one thing. Do you want to be remembered as the underdog who got nasty and spiteful because you WERE the underdog, or be remembered as the underdog who made good, purely by demonstrating humility, dignity and respect? I think it is safe to say that Jeremy Corbyn has done just that.

Those qualities shown by Jeremy Corbyn can apply to most walks of life. My grandmother always used to tell me to treat others how I would like to be treated. It has stood me in good stead most of my life to date and I have a feeling that Jeremy Corbyn’s grandmother used to say the same to him too.

Be the underdog, but if you are, play nice and be humble. It can pay dividends sometimes.

SCB