So how is Jeremy Corbyn really doing?
Clearly the guy is very popular with party members: he has just been re-elected leader by an increased margin, record numbers of new members are flocking to join the Labour Party, his meetings are packed out, and they are even organising a series of concerts in his support. What do members see in Corbyn? Somebody who is authentic and says what they want to hear about our unjust society.
And yet the majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party think that he is not up to the job. He suffered a massive vote of no confidence by Labour MPs, most of his front bench spokespersons resigned their posts, and the recent reshuffle of the Shadow Cabinet has only stirred up further worries. What do MPs see in Corbyn? Someone who does not listen to the PLP, who cannot chair his Shadow Cabinet, is weak in his Parliamentary performances, and has failed to bring forward new policies that are detailed and convincing.
So who is right: the members or the Members of Parliament?
Ultimately politics is about changing society; to do that requires being in government; to achieve that means winning an election. So what do voters think of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn? The latest Guardian/ICM opinion poll gives the Conservatives a 17-point lead at the end of the party conference season. The survey places Theresa May’s party on 43% while Labour slips to 26%, with UKIP on 11% and the Lib Dems on 8%.