Jeremy Corbyn's Achievement

Jeremy Corbyn s team is making preparations for an alternative Queen s speech to challenge Theresa May s right to govern as the Labour leader emerged from the election strengthened by wins across the country. The Labour leadership said it wanted to lay the foundations for a different kind of government after Corbyn defied expectations to make net gains of 29 seats overall at the expense of Conservatives the Scottish National party and Liberal Democrats. Labour s remarkable turnaround since the local elections showed Corbyn leading the party to the biggest increase in vote share since Clement Attlee s 1945 victory with about 40% of the total. The youth for today: how the 2017 election changed the political landscape Read more There will now be jostling for places http://www.thoughtfortheday.sitew.org/#Thoughts.A in the shadow cabinet of an emboldened Corbyn with former big hitters such as Ed Miliband and Lisa Nandy possible candidates for comebacks. I suspect most people would serve now and if he s serious about being prime minister he could put that team of all the talents together one MP said. But an aide suggested that the leader would remember those who had stayed loyal to him. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Britain that lost and the Britain that won Some Labour MPs had been privately speculating about whether to rally round figures such as Yvette Cooper Dan Jarvis and Chuka Umunna if the result had been bad for the party but they have had their immediate ambitions frustrated. Those considered disloyal during the campaign such as Nia Griffiths the shadow defence secretary who challenged the position on Trident could also find themselves out of a job. Labour MPs agreed that the election had effectively cemented Corbyn s position as leader of the party less than a year after he lost a no-confidence vote with 172 colleagues voting against him. While the party s 261 seats left it short of the number needed to form a rainbow alliance with the Greens SNP Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru Corbyn said that he would present an alternative programme of government to May s Queen s speech saying: We will put forward our point of view and we are of course ready to serve. In the hours after the result some senior party figures publicly admitted they had been wrong to presume Corbyn could not appeal in marginals across England after Labour took seats off the Tories in areas such as Bedford Portsmouth Peterborough and even Canterbury which has been blue for more than a century. Owen Smith who lost a leadership challenge against Corbyn said: I was clearly wrong in feeling that Jeremy was unable to do this well and I think he s proved me wrong and lots of people wrong and I take my hat off to him. When asked whether it was Corbyn s or Labour s policies that won the election he said: It has to be both. I don t know what Jeremy s got but if we could bottle it and drink it we d all be doing very well. We were hearing people who hadn t voted for a long while voting Labour yesterday evening who were inspired by the policies and it has to be said by Jeremy to vote Labour last night. In a sign that Corbyn s opponents were adjusting their view of his leadership Wes Streeting who has been one of his strongest critics in parliament said Corbyn had shone in the campaign. People saw Jeremy Corbyn at his very best he said. Labour won social media election digital strategists say Read more In spite of an advance in the number of seats Labour hold we are still the second party and the vision in our manifesto won t be realised for as long as we have a Conservative government. The Labour family has to come together now look at what works and what didn t and build an alternative that could win a general election he said after building on his ultra-marginal majority to hold on in Ilford North. Several MPs said they believed it was May s manifesto mistakes that allowed them to capitalise so effectively. Those errors such as the cut to free school meals support for the reinstatement of fox hunting and the dementia tax immediately gave Labour MPs readymade attack lines. It looked like we were the ones who called the election Toby Perkins MP for Chesterfield said. He cited fox hunting as a particular error. People started thinking if she gets a landslide what won t she do? Their entire campaign strap-line could have been I dare you not to vote for me . Older voters realised the Tories were going to come after their house. It was such a non-Tory thing to do and we had something to say to everyone especially older voters who were braced to vote Tory for their first time in their lives. The dementia tax brought them all straight back to us. Neil Coyle who trebled his majority in Bermondsey and Old Southwark said he believed Labour had been able to retain Corbyn-sceptic voters as well as enthusiasts. People felt it was OK to vote Labour because they didn t think he was going to be prime minister. I do think they thought it was a free hit to the Tories but that May would win. Other MPs emphasised that the party had gone backwards in some areas such as the coal belt of the east Midlands including Mansfield and North East Derbyshire. It s remarkable to have an election where Labour loses Mansfield but gains Canterbury the MP said. Facebook Twitter Pinterest New Labour MP for Canterbury Rosie Duffield is congratulated on her victory. Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer Many seats where the party lost ground were in this part of the country with one party source describing them as places where Corbyn s attitude to the Queen and the armed forces would have mattered. Another in a marginal seat in the north of England said Labour still had a bloody big headache ahead and warned against too much triumphalism by London remainers and Corbynistas when there was still no majority for the party despite May s dire campaign. MPs in seats in the north and Midlands also cautioned some exuberant colleagues who have been briefing that May s failure to get a majority meant staying in the single market would be back on the table. Many said they had promised voters in their Brexit-leaning seats that they would see through Brexit and would not back the continuation of free movement. The party will also be examining whether it was too cautious in its approach to seats prioritising defending seats which ended up with massive majorities such as Tooting or Hampstead and Kilburn rather than pushing to win some that they had assumed were out of reach such as Amber Rudd s Hastings and Rye seat or Anna Soubry s seat of Broxtowe. The party came within 300 votes of taking Soubry s seat but one source close to the campaign said the party had put in zero resources. If we d known what was happening we could have won another 15 seats one source said. If there is another election we know what to do. A hugely strengthened Jeremy Corbyn has been praised by friend and foe alike after his stunning success in denying Theresa May a Commons majority. The Labour leader was hailed by everybody from trade union leaders and a Hollywood star to former Blairite giants Peter Mandelson and David Miliband. One exiled Labour rising star Chuka Umunna said he would like to return to the shadow cabinet admitting he had changed his mind about Mr Corbyn because of the election result. Read more Jeremy Corbyn was just 2 227 votes away from becoming Prime Minister However it was thought unlikely that he would turn to MPs who had refused to serve him having strengthened the hold of the Corbynistas on the Labour party probably for years to come. One analysis was that Mr Corbyn had increased Labour s share of the vote by more than any other leader in any election since Clement Attlee in the 1945 post-war landslide. Mr Corbyn celebrated defying the pollsters and gaining 29 seats in what an aide called characteristic style with lunch in an Italian café in his north London constituency. Having demanded that Theresa May resign stating Labour was ready to serve he argued it was pretty clear who has won this election . And he heaped praise on Labour supporters saying: Your vote for us was a vote for change a vote for our country and a vote for hope. Theresa May underestimated our party and she underestimated you. The unthinkable happened when Lord Mandelson acknowledged it had been Mr Corbyn s very sure footed campaigning which had delivered the political earthquake . Just four months ago the former cabinet minister had described himself as working every single day to bring down Mr Corbyn who had no idea how to be a 21st century leader. Labour s former foreign secretary David Miliband tweeted: Wow. So good Labour stronger. So good Brutal Brexit rejected. So good next generation realised the stakes and spoke up . The US actor Danny DeVito celebrated Labour s gains with a Twitter post saying: Way to go U.K. Congrats! Recognize the real deal! Jeremy Corbyn showing us how it s done! London Calling . And the left-wing US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders described Labour s strong showing as part of growing protest against inequality all over the world . People in the UK the US and elsewhere want governments that represent all the people not just the one per cent. I congratulate Jeremy Corbyn for running a very effective campaign. Even Michael Fabricant returned as the Conservative MP for Lichfield said Mr Corbyn had fought a brilliant campaign particularly on social media and had mobilised young voters. Labour s dramatic turnaround was traced back to the week in which the party s draft manifesto was leaked amplifying coverage of policies that proved truly popular with the public. Read more Jeremy Corbyn says Theresa May took voters for granted I was wrong about Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn won larger share of vote than Blair managed in 2005 Corbyn: Labour Party ready to serve after major election gains Nationalising key industries spending more on the NHS and education abolishing university tuition fees and taxing the top five per cent of earners and big corporations to pay for it hit home on the doorstep. As the Tories hit turmoil over the dementia tax Mr Corbyn delivered impassioned speeches to ever-growing rallies while Ms May was ridiculed for robotic performances in front of hand-picked activists. When the focus switched to security after the terror attacks his attacks on her record of presiding over cuts in police officer numbers while Home Secretary also appeared to get cut through. More about: General Election 2017 Jeremy Corbyn Theresa May Lord Mandelson Reuse content Photo Jeremy Corbyn arriving at the Labour Party headquarters in central London on Friday. His unorthodox path fits a broader pattern of outsiders shaking up political centers in the West. Credit Daniel Leal-Olivas/Agence France-Presse Getty Images LONDON It was a scathing put-down. He can lead a protest I m leading the country Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain said about the leader of the opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn.Over the past seven weeks Mr. Corbyn led the protest of his life. As Mrs. May faltered stumbling her way toward an election she herself had called the veteran left winger and serial campaigner turned his party into a movement.Even in his own party many derided Mr. Corbyn as a hopeless and hapless leader an unreformed Marxist who would sink the Labour Party into oblivion and wanted him to lose the election badly.Mr. Corbyn did lose the election. But he won more than anyone else. He deprived the prime minister who had treated him with such dismissiveness of both her Parliamentary majority and her authority. Far from obliterating Labour he re-energized it shifting its politics far to the left. Advertisement Continue reading the main story By Friday afternoon some of his critics were eating their words. He s had a brilliant campaign said Chuka Umunna a senior member of the Labour Party who was among those openly disgruntled with Mr. Corbyn s leadership last year. Jeremy has fought this campaign with enthusiasm energy verve has clearly loved being surrounded in the mix with people. That s what politics is all about. Continue reading the main story Google searches for how to join the Labour party have surged following the shock election result which saw it gain 30 seats. Although they were expected to sustain heavy losses after the country went to the polls the party put in its best performance in years winning a total of 262 seats with 649 out of 650 counted. Now searches on the social media appear to show a fresh wave of potential support for the party after it was credited with energising young people in particular. Read more Corbyn increased Labour s vote share more than anyone since Attlee Corbyn strengthens his grip on his party as critics change their tune Jeremy Corbyn was just 2 227 votes from being Prime Minister From 8 June to 7pm on 9 June searches for join Labour rose 72 points relative to previous searches for the topic. The biggest jumps came at 10pm when the exit poll predicted a hung parliament and at 8am when the scale of the Labour advance was obvious. By contrast the Conservatives saw a modest increase of 31 points relative to previous searches at 7am while the Liberal Democrats remained mostly static. This spike in interest in joining political parties is normal following elections and referendums for instance people were reportedly joining the Liberal Democrats at at rate of one a minute in the days after the EU referendum. But it seems Mr Corbyn has managed to inspire millions of voters put off by Theresa May s strong and stable soundbites and hard Brexit campaigning with a promise to challenge austerity . Although the official breakout of turnout figures by age will not be published until next week some have suggested the vote among the under-25s could be as high as 72 per cent. By contrast the youth vote has been falling for years with only 43 per cent turning out in 2015. UK Election Day 2017 38 show all UK Election Day 2017 1/38 Door of Number 10 Downing Street is seen on the morning after Britain s election in London REUTERS 2/38 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in north London after he called on the Prime Minister to resign saying she should go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country PA 3/38 Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell arrives at Labour Headquarters on June 9 2017 in London England. After a snap election was called by Prime Minister Theresa May the United Kingdom went to the polls yesterday. The closely fought election has failed to return a clear overall majority winner and a hung parliament has been declared Getty Images 4/38 Caroline Lucas co-leader of Britain s Green Party speaks after retaining her seat in the general election in Brighton REUTERS 5/38 Patrons watch the results for Britain s election in London REUTERS 6/38 Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey (R) following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre on June 9 2017 in Kendal United Kingdom. After a snap election was called the United Kingdom went to the https://thoughtforthedayqu.wixsite.com/thoughts polls yesterday following a closely fought election. The results from across the country are being counted and an overall result is expected in the early hours Getty Images 7/38 Paul Nuttal leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party reacts after failing to win the seat of Boston and Skegness at the counting centre for Britain s general election in Boston REUTERS 8/38 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrives at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow as counting is under way for the General Election. PA 9/38 Anna McMorrin hugs Jo Stevens MP after winning Cardiff North for Labour at the Sport Wales National Centre on June 9 2017 in Cardiff United Kingdom. After a snap election was called the United Kingdom went to the polls yesterday following a closely fought election. The results from across the country are being counted and an overall result is expected in the early hours Getty Images 10/38 Vince Cable wins the Twickenham election for the Liberal Democrats. Richmond and Twickenham election Rex Features 11/38 Britain s Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn rubs his face after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London AP 12/38 Emily Thornberry speaks after holding her Islington South and Finsbury seat at the Sobell Leisure Centre in Islington north London PA 13/38 Britain s Prime Minister Theresa May listens as the declaration at her constituency is made for in the general election in Maidenhead England Friday June 9 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May s gamble in calling an early election appeared Friday to have backfired spectacularly after an exit poll suggested her Conservative Party could lose its majority in Parliament AP 14/38 Labour Party candidate Emily Thornberry smiles at a counting centre for Britainâ Ã Ã s general election in London REUTERS 15/38 A picture shows the Elizabeth Tower commonly referred to as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in central London on June 8 2017 on the night of Britain s general election. Prime Minister Theresa May is poised to win Britain s snap election but lose her parliamentary majority a shock exit poll suggested on June 8 in what would be a major blow for her leadership as Brexit talks loom AFP/Getty Images 16/38 DUP candidate for Lagan Valley Jeffrey Donaldson celebrates following his election at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn as counting is under way for the General Election PA 17/38 Britain s Home Secretary Amber Rudd attends the count for her seat at a counting centre for Britain s general election in Hastings REUTERS 18/38 Ballots are counted at a counting centre for Britainâ Ã Ã s general election in London REUTERS 19/38 The London Eye is illuminated in blue representing the Conservative Party after the first exit polls announced in Britain s general election AP 20/38 Election officials count votes in the Emirates Arena in Glasgow Scotland EPA 21/38 The London Eye is illuminated in red the color of the Labour Party after first exit polls of Britain s national election announced in London AP 22/38 BBC Television centre is illuminated with the exit poll results for Britain s general election Eddie Keogh/Reuters 23/38 Labour s Bridget Phillipson (centre) smiles after being announced as the winner of the election for the constituency of Houghton and Sunderland South at a counting centre Reuters 24/38 Members of the election staff prepare to count ballots in Theresa May s constituency in Maidenhead AP 25/38 Ballot papers are checked ahead of the count at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Getty 26/38 Ballots are counted at a counting centre for Britain s general election in Kendal Reuters 27/38 Theresa May arrives to vote at a polling station in Maidenhead AP 28/38 Jeremy Corbyn arrives to cast his ballot at a polling station in north London EPA 29/38 Lib Dems leader Tim Farron outside a polling station at Stonecross Manor Hotel in Kendal Cumbria PA 30/38 The leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) Paul Nuttall arrives to vote at a polling station in Congleton Reuters 31/38 Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon with her husband Peter Murrell (left) the CEO of the SNP after casting their votes at a polling station at Broomhouse Community Hall Glasgow Scotland EPA 32/38 Caroline Lucas co-leader of Britain s Green Party arrives with her husband Richard Savage to vote in Brighton Reuters 33/38 An advertising van showing caricatures of Tim Farron Theresa May Jeremy Corbyn and Paul Nuttall with the message who will be looking for a new job as Britain goes to the polls to elect a new government Rex 34/38 Performers pose with puppet caricatures of Britain s Prime Minister Theresa May leader of the Liberal Democrat Party Tim Farron and leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn in front of the Palace of Westminster Reuters 35/38 Dogs wait for their owner outside a polling station in Penally Wales Reuters 36/38 Police officers speak with a Labour Party activist outside a polling station in London AP 37/38 Benedictine nuns from Tyburn Convent leave after voting in Britain s general election at a polling station in St John s Parish Hall London AP 38/38 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall west of London Getty Images The result could alternative the conduct of politicians in future elections as many have traditionally moved to court older voters with promises of winter fuel allowances and triple-lock pensions because they can be relied upon to vote. Labour promised to abolish tuition fees and introduce a National Education Service modelled on the NHS which will be free at the point of need throughout a person s life. More about: Jeremy Corbyn join Labour Labour Party election results election 2017 Reuse content Get politics updates directly to your inbox SubscribeThank you for subscribing!Could not subscribe try again laterInvalid EmailLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn was celebrating a victory of sorts this morning after gaining an unexpected number of seats in the 2017 general election. While some pre-election polls put Labour as much as 12 points behind the Tories last night s exit poll shocked the nation by predicting a hung parliament. After failing to win the 326 seats needed to form a majority government Theresa May was forced to scramble together a coalition this morning. Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn was spotted relaxing with a hot drink in a cafe in his London constituency chatting on the phone while his wife Laura Alvarez smiled happily at him. We re not ones to brag but there was a copy of the Daily Mirror on his table at Girasole an Italian establishment on Seven Sisters Road in London. Corbyn and wife Laura Alvarez take some time out (Photo: Daily Mirror) The photo was taken at 11.45am just 30 minutes before his opponent Theresa May travelled to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. They clearly had very different mornings. Corbyn was spotted clutching a copy of the Daily Mirror (Photo: ITV News) The cafe customer who snapped the pic of the happy couple told Mirror Online: We see him quite often as he lives around the corner and as per usual there was a bit of fanfare. Read More General election results 2017 live: Latest reaction as Theresa May confirms alliance with DUP to form new government It took some time to get a clear shot because of the crowds and when we exited the cafe there was a crowd plus TV cameras. He was taking pictures with supporters and I was asked by a few to take pictures on their phones. Read More Election winners and losers Paul Nuttall resigns Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson Tim Farron holds on to his seat Amber Rudd clings on to seat SNP suffers election night catastrophe Who are the DUP? Could Jeremy Corbyn be Prime Minister? What it means for the pound It was interesting to also see his wife as up until this morning I didn t know he was married. Many congratulated him on a good campaign which he seemed happy to receive. Despite ending up with fewer seats than the Tories I think the result for most of his supporters was a huge step forward and the community especially here in Islington North are long-term Corbyn fans. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now I m not a Labour supporter nor one of Corbyn but I must say he ran a very good campaign in comparison to May who quite frankly and most disappointingly ran one based on a mix of ego and hubris. Jeremy Corbyn is yet to make any formal speech or announcement about what the general election outcome means for the Labour Party. You can t get away from social media in the political debate just as you can t get away from social media full-stop. Ever since Barack Obama s victory was branded the Facebook election people have looked at online movements and wondered what impact they have at the polling station. But something different is happening with Jeremy Corbyn. While the Conservatives posted relentless YouTube attack videos and bought up Snapchat advertising slots some mostly young Labour supporters were spreading the love for Corbyn using the argot and themes relevant to them. Milifandom had nothing on Corbyn s online appeal. Here are a few examples of Corbyn memes that flew in the election campaign. Could they have swept people all the way to the polls? The Absolute Boy A video by the leftwing commentator Aaron Bastani was one of the most widely shared uses of this name for Corbyn. It s unclear where it originated (Absolute Boy is an anime series but I doubt it s that) but it shows the youth demographic adopting Corbyn as one of their own and in their own vernacular. Where did this end? With Get on board with the absolute boy badges and an Instagram post of Lena Dunham holding one. We here in America have watched in horror as our siblings in the U.K. have been attacked these past weeks and our president has been unable to offer so much as a word of condolence only using this to push forward his racist and xenophobic agenda. We no longer have the option to pretend that what happens in Britain or America is separate. We do not live in fiefdoms. We must all work together to quell the tide of hate and complacency. Which is why despite my US Passport I desperately urge my U.K. friends/fans/frenemies to get out and vote for the Labour Party. With Jeremy Corbyn you have a chance at a fair and just leader who will temper the fascism and darkness of our current American moment. Thank you for considering for getting your butts out there and for knowing- even when you feel abandoned by electoral politics- that your vote is all we have. This Thursday June 8! A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Jun 5 2017 at 9:06am PDT There s also a sense of benevolent laddism in this take. Whether it s accidentally high-fiving the breast of Emily Thornberry or his brilliant response to a supporter who asked (after Theresa May s wheat field) what the naughtiest thing he had ever done was Corbyn has been held up as a cheeky fella in response to May s stiff vicar s daughter. One of the lads innit. https://issuu.com/thoughtforquotes Sadaqat (@sadcat786) Me: What s the naughtiest thing you ve ever doneCorbyn: Thats far too naughty to talk about #VoteCorbyn pic.twitter.com/sUNyIbcSh3 June 7 2017 Corbyn or May? This particular meme never fails to deliver. Inspired by the Bernie or Hillary? meme last summer it pits the two leaders outlooks against each other. May v Corbyn then spread to El Gato (Corbyn s cat) v Larry (the chief mouser at No 10). Meme Economy (@Meme_Economy) Corbyn or May memes - a new opportunity? pic.twitter.com/ICkKyDocd5 April 21 2017 Photograph: Twitter #LastMinuteCorbynSmears As you may have noticed the rightwing press has gone after Corbyn relentlessly (though whether it still has the influence of the past is up for debate). To counter this #LastMinuteCorbynSmears trended on Twitter because you have to fight back. Quest4Truth (@JonJonesSnr) #Corbyn finds pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but doesn t declare it as earnings. #LastMinuteCorbynSmears pic.twitter.com/oAGnAtJEXP June 7 2017 Ros Jones (@rozjonez) That prize-winning Corbyn marrow?STEROIDS.#LastMinuteCorbynSmears pic.twitter.com/FamhJjwKer June 7 2017 Jam and other niche interests Corbyn has never been shy about his love of jam or marrows or allotments. He makes his own jam and he s proud of it even talking about it on The One Show. One of the best moments of Vice s documentary on Corbyn was him outlining a plan to sign apples for fans. It s even said he has sometimes been incommunicado because of his jam-making. Corbyn s other niche interests include manhole covers (yes really) marrows and trains. My favourite headline of the campaign might have been: Corbyn: yes I collect manhole covers . And what the hell is wrong with that? Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) Can confirm that the high point of working for Jeremy Corbyn was him drawing my name in the Secret Santa and giving me two jars of his jam. June 1 2017 Pringles I like to think it all started with this man s amusing tweet about Jeremy Paxman s interview style after the BBC debate: jack scully (@JackMScully) me: i really like pringles jeremy paxman crashes through the window JP: IN 2014 WHEN OFFERED A CRISP BY A FRIEND YOU REFUSED May 29 2017 The next day a Corbyn fan offered him a Pringle which he promptly gulped down after holding it up to the crowd to cheers. The video of this moment has 23 000 likes and more than 8 000 shares. melancholy egg yolk (@ggeordiebore) corbyn ate a pringle tonight pic.twitter.com/MA5pnBJi0M May 31 2017 Interestingly Pringles has yet to capitalise on this; usually companies on Twitter are keen to insert themselves into every narrative for maximum brand reach. Who knew that a Pelican-mouth-shaped crisp would feature so prominently? Why is this important? Because politicians never manage to eat normally (see: Miliband and bacon May and chips) and Corbyn passed this test. Radio Times even called it the turning point of the general election . Grime hero It seems that #grime4Corbyn has had a genuine cut-through especially with the young and non-white electorate though turnout figures won t be known for a week or so. Our reporter Iman Amrani went to the gig in London and found widespread enthusiasm and motivation from the crowd there. The social reach for #grime4corbyn was also huge with that particular hashtag trending higher than Corbyn s manifesto on its launch day. Implausibly even Danny DeVito got in on it with 27 000 retweets and counting. Facebook Twitter Pinterest #grime4corbyn: I ve never trusted a politician before As the Guardian s film shows this online buzz seems to have translated IRL (in real life). Grime fans also said the leader s interview with the grime star JME a coup for iD magazine encouraged them to sign up to vote for the first time. Labour s leader was also on the cover of NME and Kerrang! magazines and musicians outside of grime lending their support included Akala Clean Bandit Lily Allen Kyla La Grange MIA and Rag N Bone Man. But it really is grime that has fuelled the grassroots engagement. As photoshops of Corbyn on Dizzee Rascal s seminal Boy in da Corner album cover show. Andrew Jones (@andrewj2009) NAH THATS NOT MEACT LIKE A TORY THATS NOT MERAISE UNI FEES NAH THATS NOT MESTARVE THE NHS NAH THATS NOT ME@JmeBBK #Grime4Corbyn pic.twitter.com/acZbAaPROp May 15 2017 Fashion king Vogue published an entire piece on Corbyn s style and how it mirrored the hip label of the moment Vetements. The shell suits; the pop-socks and trainers; the functional wear. A big hit has also been the (fan-made) Nike and Corbyn mash-up T-shirt echoing the NHS one that was popular a while ago (as seen on pop star Jessie Ware). The Corbyn version was made by two friends in Bristol and has sold out on their online shop. It has been seen widely on the streets as well as on celebrity and #influencer Instagram feeds. For some reason May on the other hand who is supposedly the fashion-obsessed politician has taken to wearing the exact same outfit repeatedly. Why on earth she keeps wearing the outfit that links her in the collective conscious with that awkward Trump encounter is unknown (she wore it again on election night). Morning!!!! ️ ️ ️ #votelabour #votecorbyn #votechange A post shared by Bristol Street Wear (@bristolstreetwearuk) on Jun 7 2017 at 1:05am PDT Nicci Speirs (@NicciSpeirs) I have voted in my @jeremycorbyn shirt from #BristolStreetWear. I am proud to have the right to cross that box! #ge2017 #justdoit pic.twitter.com/K7y7Ee41Gb June 8 2017 Kids and animals They say never work with kids and animals but Corbyn definitely works with both as plenty of photo opportunities and meet and greets showed. He s similar in that sense to Obama and the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau who have both benefited from their ease around babies and dogs and the memes that lends itself to. TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) So Charlie got the Chocolate factory and he found out that they paid NO CORPORATION TAX pic.twitter.com/EFpizJIChA April 21 2017 HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) There s a Twitter Moments on the best images of #GE2017 & somehow this isn t included. pic.twitter.com/ofMB5d6a0K June 7 2017 Fighting mode Corbyn There s been a good narrative of subverting the image of Corbyn as a jam-loving sweater-vest-wearing softie by re-imagining him as scrapping for a fight touching on the previous laddism. There s a Twitter account @AngryCorbyn which collates these memes and most images are lifted from that time a frustrated Corbyn was pulled away from the political press corps. Ahsan (@ahsannov) Forever my fav Corbyn meme pic.twitter.com/M7CEpmvimS June 9 2017 Smooth Corbyn Given a huge boost by the skit Corbyn did for The Last Leg in which he appeared in a tuxedo and floor-length fur coat the smooth Corbyn meme is the opposite of the scrappy Corbyn seen above. In particular the gif of Corbyn turning to the camera appearing to break the fourth wall with a confident expression was huge. (Shades too of this Miliband turning to the camera to the sound of Careless Whisper meme). Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) Get you a man who can do both etc etc pic.twitter.com/p7BxZ97BjX June 10 2016 Footy Corbs A lifelong Arsenal fan who was at Wembley to watch the club s FA Cup win Corbyn has also said he would invite European leaders to a match as a form of friendly diplomacy. The cross-section of football fans and Corbyn supporters has been huge. This may be down to his support for grassroots football and his YouTube videos promoting his policies on football. The football chant of Here we go here we fucking go! was frequently deployed as Labour s surge began to happen in the polls and when the results came in on election night (and it was one of the tweets sent from Corbyn s account when it was hacked last year). When Corbyn s account was hacked. Photograph: Twitter But in particular an old video of Kevin Keegan ranting that his club had to go to Middlesbrough and get a result has found a new lease of life and folded into the narrative of Corbyn going to key marginals and Labour heartlands and getting results the press said wouldn t happen. Jeremy Corbyn on Wenger grassroots football and Labour s Istanbul moment Read more Meme king Stan the Golden Boy went one step beyond and superimposed Corbyn on to the video of Keegan resulting in the gold below. The last word to him on how he thinks all of these Corbyn memes have played out. He told me: I don t think any particular specific meme made any tangible impact but I guess the collective weight of the sheer number of pro-Labour and Corbyn memes and the fervour for them was probably not insignificant in keeping people enthused where they might have otherwise accepted the prevalent line that Corbyn was entirely unelectable. So there you are. Here we fucking go. Stan The Golden Boy (@tristandross) labour polling up to 30.5% pic.twitter.com/khItU7aldk May 11 2017 Saudi Arabia has banned hotels and tourist facilities from airing Al Jazeera news channels and threatened to punish violators with the closure of their facility and a fine of up to 26 000. In a statement released on Friday the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage ordered that all channels from the Al Jazeera Media Network must be removed and replaced with channels compatible with official Saudi television ones . Saudi Arabia bans Al Jazeera channels in hotels violators face up to 100 000 riyal fine and/or have facility closed https://t.co/UBPy02fxKr فيصل عيدروس (@faisaledroos) June 9 2017 The Commission hereby reiterates that all of the Al Jazeera Network s channels must be removed from all hotel rooms and touristic facilities and furnished residential units totally and entirely including the TV lists kept within the circular said. Any facility acting in violation of the aforesaid Circular will be held liable and be penalized with a fine amounting up to SR100 000 or the cancelation of its license; or both the penalties. Since a diplomatic row escalated between Gulf states and Qatar on Monday Saudi Arabia the UAE and Bahrain have threatened lengthy jail terms and fines for their nationals sympathising with Qatar on social media. READ MORE: Qatar diplomatic crisis - All the latest updates The UAE said offenders would face a jail term from three to 15 years and a fine not less than AED 500 000 ( 136 000). Slogans in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world. Along with severing diplomatic ties with Qatar a Riyadh-led blockade was imposed against Doha. Saudi which shares the only land border with Qatar shut the crossing and halted transport of goods into it neighbour. Saudi the UAE and Bahrain also closed their airspace to flights from and to Qatar forcing airlines to remove Doha from their list of destinations. Qatar Airways traffic 24 hours before and 24 hours after the flight ban. More on how the ban is affecting flights at https://t.co/lXphkQfLja pic.twitter.com/o9rix5JLlW Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 8 2017 The move stranded thousands of passengers and resulted in lost revenues to airlines caught up in the rift. The International Air Transport Association pleaded that air links be restored but its request has so far been met with silence. The dispute between Qatar and the Arab countries escalated after a recent hack of Qatar s state-run news agency. We have a big question mark about the GCC future - Qatar Foreign minister Source: Al Jazeera News The United Nations says it is not bound by Saudi Arabia s terror list after the kingdom named several high-profile Qatari charities that carry out life-saving work in war-torn and impoverished countries on it. Stephane Dujarric UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterras spokesman said on Friday he had seen media reports that four Arab countries accused three Qatar-based charities of being involved in terrorism . Qatar Charity Qatar s largest NGO has worked extensively with the UNHCR UNICEF the World Food Programme Oxfam CARE and USAID. Qatar FM: GCC Blockade violates international law The Sheikh Eid Al-Thani Charity Foundation and the Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Foundation for humanitarian services were also blacklisted by Saudi Arabia the UAE Egypt and Bahrain late on Thursday. The UN is bound only by the sanctions lists put together by UN organs such as the Security Council. We re not bound by any other lists Dujarric said. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has over the years built strong partnerships with these organisations based on shared humanitarian principles which are strictly non-political he added. READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis - Who are the terrorists ? The Qatari government rejected allegations of supporting individuals and groups blacklisted as terrorists after the four countries cut ties with Doha amid a major diplomatic crisis. The recent joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia Bahrain Egypt and the UAE regarding a terror finance watchlist once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact the Qatari government said. Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement - a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors. Mahjoob Zweiri a professor at Qatar University said the terror list was dubious because there s a body within Qatar s Ministry of Social Affairs which looks at all the charities and monitors every penny they receive and send . Zweiri added these charities cooperate with international aid agencies including USAID and UK-based Oxfam in conflict zones such as Syria and Iraq. They also assist in troubled areas such as Palestine Yemen and South Sudan. By saying that those specific charities are engaged in terrorism they are questioning the work of the international aid agencies cooperating with them as well Zweiri said. Since its establishment in 1984 Qatar Charity has sponsored 213 750 young orphans into adulthood http://thoughtforquotes.inube.com and has built more than 621 schools worldwide. #Qatar Charity provides water for #Taiz#yemenhttps://t.co/MmK21OIhkP pic.twitter.com/HAhB0gTWaI مأرب الورد (@mareb_alward) May 12 2017 In 2014 it was ranked first by the UN for its relief efforts in the Syrian Palestinian and Somali crises. Since the start of the Syrian war more than six years ago Qatar Charity has helped about eight million Syrians. Qatar s ambassador to US discusses diplomatic crisis Source: Al Jazeera News Tehran: Iranian leaders accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of supporting the Islamic State-claimed dual attacks that killed 17 people in Tehran this week as thousands of Iranians attended a funeral ceremony for the victims.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that attacks will add more hatred towards US. APThe country s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday said that the attacks will add to the hatred that Iranians harbor toward the US and Saudi Arabia.In a condolence message ahead of a funeral for the victims Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack will not damage the Iranian nation s determination and the obvious result is nothing except an increase in hate for the governments of the United States and their stooges in the region like Saudi (Arabia) state media reported.On Friday Intelligence Minister of Iran Mahmoud Alavi said that investigators were working to determine whether Saudi Arabia had a role in Wednesday s attacks but said it was too soon to say if that was the case.The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State media arm Aamaq released a video on Thursday evening showing what it claimed was a message from the Tehran attackers. The four-minute video shows three masked men sitting on a floor holding automatic rifles.One of the men speaks in the sorani Kurdish dialect common among Kurds in northeastern Iraq and northwestern Iran. The speaker claims to represent the first battalion of Islamic state formed inside of Iran. He speaks out at length against Shiites and promises further attacks.During the funeral Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani called the US the international version of the Islamic State group and said Washington had exchanged democracy for money a reference to a recent huge arms deal between the US and Saudi Arabia. He said that the anti- Iranian remarks by Saudi Arabia s foreign minister and US President Donald Trump are a matter of disgrace for them. #Amercia#Ayatollah al khamenei#Ayatollah ali khamenei#Donald trump#Iran#Iran bombings#Iran terror attacks#Newstracker#Saudi arabia Dubai: Islamic State threatened attacks in Saudi Arabia after the militant group claimed responsibility for assaults in Tehran that killed at least 17 people Site Intelligence monitoring group reported on Friday.Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini s mausoleum in Tehran on Wednesday. Scores of people were also wounded.IS claimed responsibility and threatened more attacks against Iran s majority Shi ite population seen by the hardline Sunni militants as heretics.In a video that appeared to have been recorded before the attack on Tehran five masked fighters were shown threatening Shi ites in Iran as well as the Saudi Arabian government saying their turn will come . Allah permitting this brigade will be the first of jihad in Iran and we ask our brothers the Muslims to follow us as the fire that was ignited will not be put out Allah permitting one of the masked fighters said according to SITE.At the end of the video he sent a message to the Saudi government. Know that after Iran your turn will come. By Allah we will strike you in your own homes... We are the agents of nobody. We obey Allah and His Messenger and we are fighting for the sake of this religion not for the sake of Iran or the Arabian Peninsula. IS which controls territory in Syria and Iraq had carried on attacks on Saudi security forces as well as deadly bombings and shootings that target the kingdom s Shi ites in the past.Iranian authorities said five of the attackers were Iranian nationals recruited by IS while Iran s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps blamed the assault on regional rival Saudi Arabia and has threatened revenge. Sunni Saudi Arabia denied any involvement in the attacks.Tensions have been high in the Middle East since Saudi Arabia Egypt the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the accusation.On Friday the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security notice to U.S. citizens recommending that they exercise caution in places frequented by foreigners due to the continuing risk of terrorist attacks... across the Kingdom. Thomson Reuters 2017 Breaking News While his team mates sauntered off and began running through warm-ups one lone Saudi Arabian soccer player chose to honour the victims of a London terror attack.Salman Al-Faraj wearing number 7 solemnly held his hands behind his back and stared at the ground during the minute s silence before the World Cup qualifier.The 27-year-old midfielder was praised for standing still as his teammates ignored the directive and walked off to their positions on the field.The rest of his Saudi Arabian team were the target of global outrage for snubbing the minute s silence with officials claiming it was not in keeping with Saudi culture .Scroll down for video Saudi Arabian midfielder Salman Al-Faraj wearing number 7 has been praised for paying his respect to the victims of the London terror attack The Saudi soccer player (circled) was the only one on his team to hold his hands behind his back during one minute s silence The 27-year-old (pictured speaking to goalkeeper Yasser Al Mosailem) ignored his teammates who decided to warm up during the allotted time to stand still for the victims Al-Faraj has been a mainstay of the Saudi midfield for the past five years having played all but four minutes of his side s 630 minutes in the qualifying campaign. Furious viewers were to quick to point out occasions Saudi Arabian sporting teams had solemnly observed a minute s silence for different tragedies.The Saudi players were also happy to perform elaborate religious goal celebrations kneeling to the ground to pray to God after scoring an equaliser late in the first half. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Is that a cultural tradition too boys? Saudi Football team... We re thinking of the families today : Sunrise host Sam... Share this article Share Pictures show the Australian team lined up at the halfway mark with the Saudi players ignoring the gesture as they get in formation to start the game.Saudi players on the bench refused to stand for the minute s silence. The rest of his Saudi Arabian team were the target of global outrage for snubbing the silence Officials initially reasoned the one minute s silence was not in keeping with Saudi culture Salman Alfaraj from Saudi Arabia and Jackson Irvine from Australia clash during the game which Australia won 3-2 Footage appears to show Saudi captain Osama Hawsawi instructing his teammates to pay their respect and stand still after judging the crowd s negative reaction.It s believed Saudi Arabian fans watching on at Adelaide Oval https://about.me/thoughtforthedayquotes also skipped out on the minute s silence speaking loudly and moving around in the stadium.After widespread criticism the Saudi Arabian Football Federation issued a statement saying it deeply regrets and unreservedly apologises for any offence caused. The players did not intend any disrespect to the memories of the victims or to cause upset to their families friends or any individual affected by the atrocity it read. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation condemns all acts of terrorism and extremism and extends its sincerest condolences to the families of all the victims and to the Government and people of the United Kingdom. After widespread criticism the Saudi Arabian Football Federation said it deeply regrets and unreservedly apologises for any offence caused Comedian Dave Hughes called for the Saudi Arabian team to be banned from entering Australia