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Jeremy Corbyn pledges crowdfunded 'dream bike' cash to charityRaleigh Criterium.JPG

Jeremy Corbyn pledges crowdfunded 'dream bike' cash to charity

Labour leader will treat himself to Raleigh Crtiterium for his birthday
by Simon_MacMichael
Sun, Jan 17, 2016 14:25
10

Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn says he will give almost £6,000 donated by well-wishers to pay for his dream bike to charity – and will instead treat himself to the £475 Raleigh Criterium for his birthday in May.

The Labour Party leader was criticised by some elements of the press earlier this week after he said in an interview with Stylist magazine that he had his heart set on the bicycle – the most reasonably priced model in the Raleigh road bike range.

> Jeremy Corbyn reveals his dream bike – but is it too expensive for a socialist?

More than 2,000 supporters of the Islington North MP have backed a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the bike, set up in part to “annoy the right wing press” and once the £475 target had been hit it was suggested that any surplus be donated to a charity of his choice.

> Crowdfunders raise money for Jeremy Corbyn's dream bike

Asked by the Independent on Sunday whether he would buy the bike from the money raised online, he said: “Of course not. I'll give it to charity."

Instead Corbyn, who was said to have been “humbled” by the gesture, has said he will pay for the bicycle out of his own pocket.

Jeremy Corbyn
Crowdfunding
Raleigh
Raleigh Criterium
ICYMI 16-17 Jan16
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
3 likes

I have come to the opinion that Corbyn represents a threat to the cosy "fleet street"/westminster bubble, that he isn't one of "us". It is the only thing i can come up with to explain the presses continued attacks. Particularly when you actually look at the level of coverage regarding Europe or the NHS etc things that actually matter. 

Avatar
squiresm replied to mrmo | 8 years ago
1 like

mrmo wrote:

I have come to the opinion that Corbyn represents a threat to the cosy "fleet street"/westminster bubble, that he isn't one of "us". It is the only thing i can come up with to explain the presses continued attacks. Particularly when you actually look at the level of coverage regarding Europe or the NHS etc things that actually matter. 

Yes, Jeremy Corbyn who has been part of the Westminster bubble for 30+ years, clearly represents a threat to the cushy way of life in Westminster.

Maybe the continually negative press coverage has something to do with his embarrassing attempts at decision making and the fact large swathes of his own MPs are openly against his policies?

Avatar
jasecd replied to squiresm | 8 years ago
5 likes

squiresm wrote:

Yes, Jeremy Corbyn who has been part of the Westminster bubble for 30+ years, clearly represents a threat to the cushy way of life in Westminster.

Maybe the continually negative press coverage has something to do with his embarrassing attempts at decision making and the fact large swathes of his own MPs are openly against his policies?

Corbyn may have been an MP for 30+ years but he's always been outside of the bubble. He's never been a minister and his voting record shows exactly how much of an outsider he has been in Westminster.

The reason that the press continues to deride him is that fundamentally he represents a threat to the greedy capitalist mentality that pervades this country. His values and ideals do not put individualism and the pursuit of profit before all else, like the succession of corporate mouthpieces we have had since the 1980's. There are many in his party who can't see beyond this neo-liberal paradigm so of course they don't agree with him.

Look where this 'me first' attitude has got us: financial instability; irreversible climate change; gross inequality; huge numbers of people priced out of owning a home; mass levels of private debt; a runaway banking sector whose rampant speculation threatens everyones standard of living and yet hasn't been brought under control after the crisis. And in the context of road.cc, a transport system centred around the individual and dangerously high levels of obesity that puts a huge and unneccessary strain on the healthcare system.

There's a reason Corbyn was elected as leader - some people want an alternative and as the middle class shrinks those voices are going to grow louder and louder. He might not win the next election but his ideas won't go away.

 

Avatar
andyp replied to squiresm | 8 years ago
2 likes

squiresm wrote:

the fact large swathes of his own MPs are openly against his policies?

 

Ah, that. Labour have forgotten how to win haven't they?

These MPs may not agree with his policies, but face it - ANY policies only get a chance to see the light of day when you're in power. Which Labour won't be unless they stop whingeing and get behind their leader. It's like watching a fight in a kindergarten ffs.

Corbyn gives them something they haven't had in *years* - someone for the undecided man in the street to get behind. And it's the undecideds who make the difference come election time, not yer card-carrying party members.

 

A good chance...going up in smoke. There's still time. Sort it out, Labour, or it'll be your fault that the country gets screwed over by the Tories.

Avatar
barbarus | 8 years ago
2 likes

I think bikeclips' two tossers were Gove and Hunt, Corbyn being clearly not a tosser (whatever you think of his politics)

Avatar
124g | 8 years ago
6 likes

As far as I'm concerned he's a top guy, a refreshing change in the usual goon squad that we have in the den of iniquity aka the House of Parliament. 

 

I donated and and was happy to do so, it's a measure of his qualities and integrity in his decision to pass this to charity.  It seems to me the Tory press do there utmost to  rubbish him at every opportunity which kinda makes you think he worries them come the next election. 

 

 

 

 

Avatar
Gus T | 8 years ago
10 likes

Why all the antagonism towards Jeremy Corbyn, Michael Gove is steadily dismantling the NHS & undermining junior doctors to alter their contracts which will result in putting lives at risk in order to allegedly save money. but no-one comments on his bike, surely Gove deserves more attacks about his bike then Corbyn does.

Avatar
bikeclips replied to Gus T | 8 years ago
10 likes

Gus T wrote:

Why all the antagonism towards Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy Hunt is steadily dismantling the NHS & undermining junior doctors to alter their contracts which will result in putting lives at risk in order to allegedly save money. but no-one comments on his bike, surely Hunt deserves more attacks about his bike then Corbyn does.

 

Fixed your post (both tossers though) 1

Avatar
Gus T replied to bikeclips | 8 years ago
0 likes

bikeclips wrote:

Gus T wrote:

Why all the antagonism towards Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy Hunt is steadily dismantling the NHS & undermining junior doctors to alter their contracts which will result in putting lives at risk in order to allegedly save money. but no-one comments on his bike, surely Hunt deserves more attacks about his bike then Corbyn does.

 

Fixed your post (both tossers though) 1

Thanks, was having a bad day 2

Avatar
armb replied to bikeclips | 8 years ago
0 likes

bikeclips wrote:

Gus T wrote:

Why all the antagonism towards Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy Hunt is steadily dismantling the NHS & undermining junior doctors to alter their contracts which will result in putting lives at risk in order to allegedly save money. but no-one comments on his bike, surely Hunt deserves more attacks about his bike then Corbyn does.

Fixed your post (both tossers though) 1

Gove may have been a pain in Education, but he seems to be a big improvement on Grayling in Justice (e.g. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2015/12/chris-grayling-mos... http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/michael-gove-is-a-liberal-hero-who-e...)

Maybe if the rumours that Boris Johnson is going to take over Health are true he'll try to make savings by encouraging cycling:

https://www.politicshome.com/party-politics/articles/story/boris-johnson...
http://road.cc/content/news/147824-cycling-will-save-nhs-%C2%A325bn-and-...

But in general, the "greenest government ever" claim was bollocks, and that seems unlikely to change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2011/oct/05/greenomet...

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