Traingate

[Tetenterre]

Four things that occur to me about "traingate" (posted with the awareness that this may give the false impression that I give a damn) :

* A regular train user, who seems not to have twigged that it is legitimate to use unoccupied reserved seats (until they are required), wants to run an entire nation.
* A regular train user, who lacks the forward planning capability and/or wit to reserve seats in advance, wants to run an entire nation.
* There is no moral distinction between accepting an upgrade "ahead of these people" and accepting seats vacated by upgrading someone else "ahead of these people".

...and, most importantly:

* There seems to be completely inadequate regulation with regards to corporate entities publishing CCTV footage.

[Alan H]

I've managed to avoid most of what must be many thousands of column-centimetres (and megabytes) spent on this. But here we are, the media's headlines are all about whether there actually was a spare seat on a train. Meanwhile, the NHS is being battered to death, the HRA is still going to be abolished, schools are becoming more religious, hate crime is increasing, we are (apparently) still going to be leaving the EU... why aren't the media focusing on the things that matter; the things that affect us? Shouldn't the Corbyn story be a non-story?

[Nick]

There are all sorts of things which are important, Alan. Hence the importance of the fact that the main alternative to the current government seems to be incapable of even the comparatively simple task of arranging a train journey. So, yes, it is relevant. If there is no viable alternative, then the Tories will win again.

[Tetenterre]

I think it would be relevant if Corbyn had a snowball's chance in hell of becoming PM.

As for why the media isn't focusing on the other things: the media is there to sell stuff; the real issues are difficult, so don't sell well. A spat between a smarmy politician and a smarmy tax-exile, both of whom are trying to milk the issue for their own benefit, is far more mass-appealing and, therefore, sellable.

[Alan H]

There are all sorts of things which are important, Alan. Hence the importance of the fact that the main alternative to the current government seems to be incapable of even the comparatively simple task of arranging a train journey. So, yes, it is relevant. If there is no viable alternative, then the Tories will win again.

LOL of course, but god help us.

[Alan H]

I think it would be relevant if Corbyn had a snowball's chance in hell of becoming PM.

Indeed.

As for why the media isn't focusing on the other things: the media is there to sell stuff; the real issues are difficult, so don't sell well. A spat between a smarmy politician and a smarmy tax-exile, both of whom are trying to milk the issue for their own benefit, is far more mass-appealing and, therefore, sellable.

Yup. And it's another sign of lazy journalism.

[Alan H]

Jeremy Corbyn claim Virgin train was ‘ram-packed’ backed by passengers

More pictures and footage on the events on the train have emerged

The train company, however, has released CCTV stills showing Mr Corbyn finding a seat on the train, saying that it “clearly wasn’t the case” he could not find somewhere to sit. Though Mr Corbyn did not claim that there were no seats on the train, he said it was “ram-packed”.

Other people on the train have however come forward to say it was in fact very busy, at least at the start of the journey.

One passenger, Keren Harrison, posted a picture of herself on the train with Mr Corbyn and gave an account of events that contradicted the company’s version.

"I was on said train and it was very busy!" she said. "He got seat about 45 mins in when staff started shuffling people around!"

She added in another tweet that the train was "chock-a".

Separately, Charles Anthony, a Corbyn-supporting video journalist who shot the original film also released new footage and disputed the company’s account.

“Video footage of Corbyn sitting down is after he filmed video. And after people got off,” he said in a series of tweets.

[Ninny]

I just voted for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, confident that he will one day become Prime Minister and restore some of the rights eroded by the Tories.