Jeremy Corbyn is campaigning hard on the EU - to 200 people at a time
Emilio Casalicchio
| PoliticsHome
Jeremy Corbyn is “puzzled” as to why anyone should think him a “shabby, spineless coward” for failing to make Labour’s case for Remain ahead of the EU referendum.
Indeed, the Labour leader has manned a string of pro-EU campaign events in Cardiff, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Edinburgh and the like in recent days.
But it appears critics - such as Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall, who offered the colourful assessment above - have just failed to notice. Whose fault is that?
Well, it’s probably Jeremy Corbyn’s.
Yes, the left-winger has been out on the stump daily preaching to pockets of voters, but a truly effective national campaign is nothing without mass media coverage.
His supporters may well cry that the media takes no interest in the Labour leader unless it comes armed with batons of bad news to bludgeon him with - but they would be wrong.
We were there when he made his first big EU speech, we were there when he made his plea to stay in to protect workers’ rights, and we’ll be there for his Sky News EU Q&A with voters.
Us hacks go wherever the story is - and whether there is a story is up to none other than Jeremy Corbyn. It's called media management.
Almost every day we get press releases from David Cameron and the like with fresh and exciting EU announcements, Brexit-bashing zingers and, crucially, details of the next Britain Stronger in Europe campaign event.
Official Out campaign Vote Leave is prolific in its deluge of snappy press announcements, lightning reactions to developments, as well as headline-friendly attacks and counter-attacks.
From Corbyn? Very little indeed.
He is so against media management that he often fails to alert the world to his activities and leaves himself open to the wrath Mr Hucknall and co.
His efforts on the stump are commendable. But what is the point of addressing 200 people in Walthamstow if you pass up the chance to invite millions through the national media?
Until the Leader of the Opposition learns to use us journos as his tool for speaking to the nation, he will Remain forever puzzled as to why no-one is listening.
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