Oh, Jeremy Corbyn: The Big Lie
Directed by Chris Reeves

“SENIOR officials in headquarters were actively working against Labour” states award-winning film-maker Ken Loach in this gripping documentary that explores the remarkable rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn due to forces within his own party.

Narrated by Alexei Sayle and directed, shot and edited by Chris Reeves and written by Norman Thomas, the film examines how and why Corbyn went from coming so close to becoming prime minister in 2017 to abject failure two years later when the Tories won by a landslide under Boris Johnson.

It outlines the secret war that was waged against Corbyn from within the Labour Party — including a campaign of anti-semism smears — to stop him leading the country, as the possibility of a pro-Palestinian socialist PM was impossible for certain factions to stomach. It also analyses the role played by the current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Loach states: “Every now and then, to show that we are a democracy, there is a change of government. The party changes but it’s so important from the Establishment’s point of view that the alternative party won’t change anything and that’s what Starmer is proving now to those with power.” Starmer himself declined to appear in the film.

It features interviews with figures at the heart of the action and former members, including Loach, who were all kicked out of Labour in a bid to rid the party of its radical leftwingers and Corbyn supporters, who provide a unique insight.

Many were accused of being anti-semitic; they in turn claim they were anti-zionists, but that as soon as you criticise Israel you are labelled anti-semitic. That’s according to journalist and activist Graham Bash from the Jewish Voice for Labour.

Meanwhile political activist and writer, Jackie Walker, who is black and of Jewish descent and was expelled from Labour accused of anti-semitism, says: “I’ve never been in such a racist organisation.”

This fact was highlighted by the long delayed Forde report which found that allegations of racism and harassment were not being addressed by Labour.

The film also studies how Labour’s powers-that-be did their best to stamp out the extraordinary grassroots movement whose support propelled Corbyn into the limelight and almost into No 10. The key question is can it rise again?

The film-makers hope that this eye-opening and thought-provoking documentary, which at times beggars belief, will be the springboard for more detailed debate and will revive this movement.