Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party little over a week ago on a wave of left-wing euphoria, with a landslide victory of almost 60% of the vote.
But as he enters his second week in office, marked by his refusal to sing the national anthem and controversy over his new shadow Cabinet, it is clear that the veteran socialist may face a bumpy road ahead, AFP reported.
The anti-austerity advocate was voted in on promises of a fairer society and a new kind of politics, triggering an immediate surge in party membership.
His debut has been met with no shortage of hostility, however, even among his own colleagues–reportedly prompting him to admit it had been “an incredibly complicated and busy” few days.
Just over 24 hours after his election, the 66-year-old suffered a bitter backlash on social media as he announced his shadow Cabinet.
Most contentious was the naming as shadow finance minister of Corbyn’s hard-left ally John McDonnell, who called for members of the militant Irish Republican Army to be honored in 2003.
McDonnell apologized for the comment in one of his first media appearances after the appointment last week.
The choice of McDonnell raised eyebrows even within the party, with Labor MP Simon Danczuk saying it meant “the lunatics had taken over the asylum”.
The absence of women in top positions also sparked a flurry of condemnation, only slightly appeased by the naming of Angela Eagle as business secretary, another senior position.
Corbyn argued that the traditional notion of top jobs was antiquated and that the women-filled positions responsible for education and health were of equal importance.
