NEWS
EVENTS
Labour Live Hailed "A Resounding Success"
Jeremy Corbyn addressed supporters at Labour Live in Haringey this afternoon, and urged crowds to get behind Labour, saying, “Ours is a politics of hope, ours is a politics of determination, ours is a politics of inclusion.”
The music and politics event, organised by the Labour party, took place in the White Hart lane recreation ground, and is the first of its kind to be seen in the United Kingdom, including artists such as Clean Bandit, Reverend and the Makers, and The Magic Numbers.
Also on the bill were speakers such as Owen Jones, John McDonnell, and Jeremy Corbyn himself.
The event has been dubbed “Jez Fest”, and saw Corbyn take to the stage amidst the familiar “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” chant, in hopes of recreating some of the enthusiasm and support for his leadership and the Labour party that festival-goers took part in at last year’s Glastonbury festival.
In his speech, Corbyn reinforced Labour pledges from last year’s election, and spoke about how a Labour government would protect the NHS, hold corporations to account in regard to tax, as well as tackling homelessness by creating affordable homes.
Corbyn also said of the Conservative government that they had “started bunging money around in order to stay in office,” and that it was time to “give up, move on, move over, and let the people take over.”
The one-day music, art, and politics festival has been heavily scrutinised recently, with questions raised over the sharp reduction in ticket prices, which have gone from £35 to £10, with some Labour union backers even giving away tickets and transport to the festival for free.
Another controversy could be seen taking place during Corbyn’s speech, as protesters held up a banner that read, “Stop Backing Brexit”, which could refer to the split in the party over whether Labour should be voting to stay within the European Economic Area.
However, Owen Jones, left-wing commentator and longstanding Corbyn supporter, has since called the event “a resounding success” whilst in an interview with Corbyn, and organisers have stated that "We have demonstrated how politics can be opened up to a wider audience," despite the festival not selling out.
The Labour party are steadfast in their statement that over 13,000 tickets were sold before the event.
