Traingate

But do we need to renationalise the trains? I think we do. That is his point. Watch out for the NHS destroyed by previous Labourites. We will save it.

People like me who object get "how dare you" from the so called Labour supporters who think they have this forum to themselves.

They don't!

A number of people have come forward to support the fact that the train was very busy and it was difficult to find a seat, and there are several photos of people standing - sometimes with young children - or sitting on the floor.

Was the photo of Corbyn standing on a night bus (hardly flattering as he looked a bit fed up and pretty tired), taken in August last year, also a put up job? Or is it just possible that this man actually does use public transport on a regular basis which is often subject, as other people have confirmed in this particular case, to overcrowding. I don't think anyone would dispute that the fares are very high and the fare structure is so ridiculously complex that even the staff issuing the tickets get confused.

Of course, the right wing newspapers and those opposed to Corbyn are more than willing to champion Richard Branson's version of events (and he is hardly a disinterested party). For those that call Corbyn a hypocrite and lacking integrity, I would say that his behaviour as a backbencher - when he had no need to court public favour - demonstrates otherwise. Unlike many other MPs - of all parties - who used every opportunity to put in claims for all sorts of questionable expenses, his expense claims were reported to be the lowest.

Eloethan, thanks for a well balanced post. His expenses have never met the cost of career politicians.

I respect him, and the new grassroots are far from idiots. I say this without giggling.

For the gigglers and chucklers, here's Daniel Finkelstein talking about previous prime ministers. Yes, I know Corbyn wasn't, isn't, and is never likely to be PM, but he's a politician and that'll do.

The title is "Our sepia-tinted PMs were arrogant and remote".

Fink asks "Was Gladstone a pompous, windy, self-absorbed nutter or a titan of reform and conscience? Both. Was Disraeli a conman, incompetent and a snob or a creative genius and political miracle worker? Both."

So, yeah, Corbyn's human too. And I still don't care whether his sitting on the floor stunt about there being no seats was true or not. What's important to me is that it created a good deal of fun. I could almost warm to the man and his incompetent travel team

One can sit in reserved seats while nobody is in them, such as if they're not reserved for the whole journey. Just saying. #stunt

FGS, why on earth didn't JC do what most sensible people do when planning a long train journey and book the required seats in advance?! You can then take advantage of cheaper tickets and be assured of a seat!! I did this frequently when travelling from Cornwall to Oxford to visit DD. Standing or sitting on the floor wasn't an attractive alternative particularly when getting older!! It's no trouble and costs nothing! Why make an idiot of yourself when it's quite unnecessary?!!

My thoughts too, niggly. Which is why, on balance, I think his "team" probably had a stunt up their sleeves all along, even if he didn't.

And he's a twit for giving in to it.

Well, he's a twit anyway, politically.

Yes, darlings, I probably would be too as a politician, but I'm not setting up as leader of the Labour Party. Important difference, donchaknow.

It doesn't look good either way, does it? Stunt or incompetence - take your pick. And, it wouldn't be a laughing matter if there was even the remotest chance that Corbyn would get to be pm but, there isn't, so it is!

durhamjen 23.43pm
Two wrongs dont make a right! As I keep saying to you.
When you post like that, it means that your posts are saying that they are both wrong!

Sometimes people want or need to turn up at the station and buy a ticket on the day of travel. In that case, they can't book a seat. Sometimes, if you book less than a week in advance, no seat reservation is possible. Just saying, but by all means carry on debating the wisdom of booking in advance and wondering why that didn't occur to his team. It's quite amusing to see how many times people can repeat the same argument.

The trouble is we will never know if Corbyn is a twit or not, he will never, ever be given a fair chance. On a plus note, he has single handedly changed the narrative so that people can question the tories idealistic austerity programme, so bloody well done for that.

The trains were crap in the eighties, but privatising them and allowing them to be run for profit was not the answer.

It doesnt matter to some voters how dishonest an MP turns out to be.

Virgin trains anecdote: I and three other gransnetters got thrown off a Virgin train in Fife once, coming back from meeting katek in Aberdeen. We were wrongfully (and innocently) using our cheap pre-booked tickets. Tut tut

Don't be silly, LSP, Corbyn has had decades to prove himself as a politician with some political nous before most of us had ever heard of him. I'm sure he's a decent man in ordinary life. That isn't the point!

Plus, why shouldn't people object to what they think are his silly and naive political ideas? That's not being personal; it's being political.

And I don't feel sorry for him because I think he's enjoying all the attention.

It matters to me how dishonest an MP turns out to be obieone, and I'm sure it matters to most people. I don't know what evidence you have for that statement.

Also, as I said right at the beginning, there was often a shortage of seats on trains on long distance north-south runs when the railways were in public hands, so Corbyn's argument about re-nationalisation is a stunt argument too.

Which, I reiterate, is not to say whether or not I think having nationalised railways is a good idea. At one time did think so on principle, even when I had to stand or sit on the floor for hours (once with two small children; a kind person did give us one seat; I put the kids on it and sat on the floor). Now, I'm not so sure, even though I've had to sit on the floor on privatised train services as well. Seems to me the shortage of seats is a problem that transcends public or private ownership. Something to do with better planning and forecasting, perhaps?

If there's a country where they do get the formula right, we should go and learn from it.

nightowl, our statements agree with each other.

what's the big issue? People sit on train floors every day. Normal people if using the service reserve their seats at no extra cost as others have said. It wasn't like he had to sit on the roof now was it?

There are ALWAYS reserved seats at the start of journey with no-one in them , so you sit there until it reaches the stop they got on and then you move on.

If this is all we have to worry about today - whether Corbyn got his bum on a seat...well its a slow news day - that's all I can say !

Trouble is, so many of his silly and naive ideas turn out to be the right stance, anti apartheid, against the Iraq war, anti austerity etc. It's odd that, in hindsight, he's often on the right side of history, not the most profitable for the 1 % and those unaffected by austerity of course.

This thread is nothing to do with trains; it has become just another anti-Cornyn thread. That's fine, and even possible amusing but half-a-dozen grannies having yet another go at Cornyn (and anyone showing any interest in him) is really not going to change the world is it. I wonder what those who are currently frightened about whether or not they will be able to keep their jobs either because of the cost or unreliability of their commute would think of the comments. No wonder the young think the older generation are selfish.

Possibly not possible - Kindled I'm afraid.

14 I think?

Actually I am beginning to think like the Sun. As he wont make PM, he is not worth really talking about.

He will end up being remembered as someone who heloed break up the Labour Party. Something which he will probably be very proud about.

The Labour party fought against apartheid, so much so Mandela addressed a Labour Party conference and his first visit to the UK he met his friends the Kinnocks , I don't recall Corbyn involved in that first visit, .

The defence of Corbyn here is enlightening, so aggressive it strengthens the claims that labour MP's were threatened with acts of violence .

The man carried out a PR stunt and it failed , that's it.

Gracesgran, you accept lies, not everyone does ,