Owen Jones meets Owen Smith | 'Labour would not win a snap general election under Corbyn' 

This man has the charisma of a damp towel

I've always been a huge supporter of Corbyn and was hoping for his re-election as leader, but now I'm starting to think Owen could be a better alternative. Owen Jones I mean, not Smith.

I don't believe a word this guy says..

I feel a person who has to mention their rival continuously doesn't really have a good argument. The same can be seen in Trump interviews. Jeremy didn't do this.

1 hour video released 2 minutes ago, 9 dislikes. Seems legit...

A man who wants power, that's it.

How come the coup starters starters blame Jeremy for the failing on the Brexit results when, on a channel 4 interview, Owen Smith admitted that 67%of labour voters voted to remain. 🤔

I supported Corbyn, I still do in many ways but am ultimately undecided. But for fucks sake, please stop the moronic tribal thinking, it's what always kills leftwing movements. I understand it's not entirely unjustified, there are certainly aspects of the party who are opposed to Corbyn for self interest and dislike of left wing policy, but you can't write them all off as Blairite traitors. I'm not arguing for Smith, but at least listen to the other side, one thing he is absolutely right on is the fact that Labour has always been a coalition, it was never a purely socialist movement, but a vocal minority of Corbyn's supporters are revisionist and want it to be a fucking cult. A cult that cannot survive on its own, just like the other side cannot survive on its own.

Reason people like Corbyn is they trust him because of his lifetime commitment to causes they too believe in. Owen Smith is telling you what he wants you to hear but that isn't backed up by his track record. One can't just appear in a leadership battle and switch to his opponents policies and say 'hands up I was wrong before, but this is what we should do now'. As Sting said 'they just look like game-show hosts to me'. As for the splitting of the party, Corbyn isn't doing that but if he did he would take the grass roots support with him and Smith and his like would remain in a dead party.

He was right

Me mam had the best line on him - 'more faces than the town hall clock'. Ha.

I will say that he seems more policy focussed than Corbyn. His ideas seem more concrete. Which is good thing.

Corbyn video: 46 minutes Smith video: 56 minutes SUPPORT FOR SMITH CONFIRMED 😱😱😱😱

I'll not support a man who worked for a pharmaceutical company, who wanted to privatise the NHS.

Hopefully when Smith exiles himself from the Labour party Jones goes with him.

For me, I would say Smith is just totally unconvincing.. there's nothing about him that comes across as genuine to me... he just feels like just another untrustworthy, robotic politician from the politician drone factory.

I just feel like I can't believe a word he says

I didn't think it would but this video has convinced me. I voted for Jeremy last year but will be voting for Owen Smith this time round. I still agree with almost everything Jeremy says but he's proven himself to be incompetent.

Jeremy has been arguing for investment not Austerity for years, how dare Smith say that Corbyn has only just started campaigning for Investment in the last two weeks. He is using the same old politics of lies, smoke and mirrors. Smith stands for same old politics, be afraid, be very afraid.

A couple of minutes after he says something you can't remember what it was.

I hate this circular logic. Why is Corbyn a bad leader? Because loads of his minister resigned and the party doesn't believe in him. Why doesn't the party believe in him? Because he's a bad leader. The accusation "he's a bad leader" doesn't MEAN anything to normal people. Ask anybody on the street if they think he's a good leader and they probably won't have an answer for you, they're too fixed on worrying about normal things not political maneuvering. Pretty much the most positive thing I can say about Owen Smith is that he at least claims to be into the same policies as Corbyn, but also claims that he'd do them better somehow. From a policy standpoint I don't see any advantage of Smith over Corbyn, he's not going to want anything that Corbyn doesn't already want. What matters is the genuine principles that drive them, and I'm convinced that Corbyn is genuinely concerned about the working class and the important issues they face - because that's all he ever fucking talks about. That's how you know he's in politics for the RIGHT reasons.

I don't think Smith is authentic.

Forget Scotland. Think about a coalition with the SNP.

I could never elect a man in thick rimmed glasses.

I like Corbyn for his anti establishment, principled politics. But this was the first time I'd really heard Owen Smith give his case and I was thoroughly impressed. I find him both more convincing than Corbyn and more down to earth, weirdly. Maybe it's the Welsh accent. I was also genuinely surprised by how left wing most of what he said was. I especially liked what he was saying about energy, investment, housing and the NHS. Very Bernie Sanders-esque. I would happily vote for him.

I will not listen to either Owens. Both have proved to be less than sincere.Vote Corbyn. Mandatory reselection.

All about "winning power" at any cost with this guy. Principles don't even come into it.

If in his words " we have never been so relevant" now,why is he challenging the leader of the party that has made us so "relevant"...Why vote for Owen if you are saying you are "just as radical" as Jeremy?? If its not broke, why does it need fixing???

Lots of the very thing he criticises Corbyn for...He uses all of Corbyn's previously stated policies and ideas and is claiming credit for them as his own, even so far as saying he agrees with Jeremy yet he won't support him. In one of John McDonnell's first interviews as shadow chancellor he stated that he wanted to invest money into infrastructure instead of the banks in fact it was termed as quantitative easing for the people instead of the banks. How this pretender who lobbied for the very destructive tax dodging companies he now says he is against has the nerve to say John has stolen that idea from him is treachery, He is a sad and sorry pretender, look at the way he repeats the story about what John said in the meeting with Jeremy, it was repeated word for word, this was a rehearsed answer. He says he wants to challenge the tories on their tax credits/pip changes yet he abstained on the vote for the welfare bill. This man is another joke, another sorry liar who has only his own interests at heart.

I'm afraid I'm listening to Mr Smith and hearing Tony Blair all over again. I can't put my finger on exactly why (Pfizer perhaps) but I just can't trust him. It doesn't exactly scream 'principled socialist' to me.

I'm 46 and have been a socialist my entire life, but I'm a member of the Green Party not Labour, partly because I consider climate change to be *the* greatest threat to humans right now. For me, Labour don't have a consistent message on the urgent measures Britain should be taking to minimise the climate threat. I would have liked to hear both Jeremy and Owen S answer questions on that fully and honestly. I was also disappointed you didn't ask them about the idea of a progressive alliance with the Greens and others.

Owen Smith unedited "Labour would not win a snap general election under Corbyn and you can be sure that we in the Labour Party have done everything we possibly could to make sure of that."

Good job Owen (Jones), i'm really enjoying these uncut interviews, how about interviewing more people within the Green party? Amelia Womac etc.

If the Labour right have opposed Corbyn since his election why would it change under Smith who has said he is just as left wing and radical and has the same policies as Corbyn. Could it be that Smith is just telling us what he thinks we want to hear. Otherwise why does the right back him if he stand for the same values as Corbyn?

The opening comment by Jeremy was so much better. He has a vision and talked about what he wanted. Owen talked about why labour should be a government - not a vision. Jeremy is the change, not Owen. How is Jeremy meant to make a change when he's being back stabbed at every turn!?

Voted for Corbyn in the last leadership election and intended to do so again, however, Smith's left wing policies and views have made me think. For me Corbyn will never be Prime Minister unfortunately. Success for Corbyn should be the reshaping of Labour in to a true centre-left party. This appears to have already begun given Smith's policies in this campaign. The sensible thing would have been for the PLP to help him do this and then Corbyn step aside for a more charismatic and strong leader as a figurehead of the party. Unfortunately most of the Labour MP's are treacherous and have no respect for the democratic process that gave Corbyn his mandate.

That was an hour and it felt like five. At the outset I thought this man is slick then I grew more and more depressed at the building society manager monotone, the presentational squirming about supporting Project Miliband/Balls but being different to it while being part of it (huh?); the failure to explain his lack of principle over the welfare vote in contrast to Corbyn's no vote; the wholesale purloining of some Corbyn/McDonnell policies; the failure to even say why his recent 'radicalism' is different to Corbyn's lifelong radicalism: the U-turn executed over Brexit within thirty seconds in the interview and the embarrassing failure at the end to provide any kind of 'vision' flourish. I was Corbyn before watching this. I am Corbyn plus after it.

What's the point of Labour if they are not socialist? Why not join tory then?

if most of his policies are going to be the same as Corbyns why did he challenge his leadership and not just support him? I'll tell you why, personal ambition, nothing else, he's bothered about himself and no one else.

The hilarious thing about this interview is the interviewer would have far greater chance of becoming leader of the labour party than the interviewee.

If you listen to Owen Smith, and then listen to Jeremy Corbyn, Both saying the same thing. Who do you believe? I know who I believe. Jeremy Corbyn all day long.

I sat through the whole thing, can I have my free ice cream?

It's all very well Owen Smith saying that Labour was wrong to bring PFI and other market initiatives into NHS and schools, but having crossed that'red line', it's not good enough to just say 'we were wrong, but we won't do it again, trust us.' Jeremy Corbyn, along with hundreds of thousands of real Labour supporters were saying all along that those were wrong. That's proper Labour, intrinsically socialist, not pragmatically so.

We've got to think long and hard about Labour's prospects at the next election with Jeremy at the last election. I was supporting Jeremy, but now I'm voting for Owen Smith. It's the only way forward.

"I like some of Jeremy's policies" We can tell that mate. Tealeaf.

It seems to me a lot of people have unconditional trust in Jeremy Corbyn and an unmovable hatred of Owen Smith...

just as with the Scottish branch of UK labour, an out of touch apologist for a labour aristocracy. Ask Brown, Darling, Murphy and Johann Lamont...gone but not forgotten...who went before they were pushed... Smith is everything I despair at in a party I was raised to believe supported labour (as in labour & capital)..but long since died a death in Scotland. And the so-called socialists like Neil Findlay....Corbyn who I long admire needs to keep him at arms length rather than a henchman as with last visit to Scotland. No socialist is Findlay, democratic or otherwise.

"Owen me, Owen you, a-ha" 10/10, Owen Jones' best work yet

Missed opportunity to do it Smith and Jones style. :( At least you're facing each other over a table!

Brilliant interview. Honest and open, frank answers to difficult questions. Balance from Jones (which has been somewhat lacking of late). Confident, clear descriptions of what Smith stands for. Could really oversee Unity within our party and work toward making Labour the party of government that it once was.

Not In a million years would I vote for this guy, just more of the same.

Although I dont support Owen (Smith), I liked this video because its a good interview. The reason I dont support him is because he is to the right of Corbyn and thats the last thing we want in british politics at the moment.

When people start choosing the right people, because that persons intentions are good rather than base things on their personality, I will believe there is hope for the downtrodden and poor, and equality. It is always the rich vs the poor. You judge a man by his fruits, well Jeremy Corbyn has stood up for so much in his life, and while in Labour look how many Tory policies he has quashed?? Why is that not taken into account? Owen Smith on the other hand, served under Corbyn and now wants his job. He has also been good friends with the MP who said someone broke into her office. Take those items into account. How do you feel when people attack your personality and tell you that you are useless? What do you think of these people? These people constantly say what is bad about Jeremy Corbyn. They do not say what is good about him in an authentic way. THESE people are the ones who give Labour a bad name, THESE people are the ones that destroy Labours popularity. Jeremy wants people to surrender their egos and do what is right. Those with egos that they do not want to let go of, well, they are destroying Labour. Kick them out, kick out the bad apples. Let Owen Smith start his own party called The Real Labour Party and they can all join. People judge others by their fruits. Owen Smith is not being completely honest and that is where he shoots himself in the foot.

'I'm a Bennite'. What a load of crap. Disingenuous beyond belief. This guy will literally say anything won't he?

I just can't shake the fact that he reminds me of Michael Howard.

The problem with Smith is you can't trust him , he reminds me of Hillary Clinton , says the right things , but you know as soon as he is in power he's gonna change.

Owen Smith on the Iraq War: 31 Mar 2013 "We are making significant inroads in improving what is happening in Iraq. "I thought at the time the tradition of the Labour Party and the tradition of left-wing engagement to remove dictators was a noble, valuable tradition, and one that in South Wales, from the Spanish Civil War onwards, we have recognised and played a part in." He didn't know whether he would have voted against the war, as the previous MP Llew Smith did. On Radio 4’s Today programme: 13th July 2016 When asked “Iraq War, For or Against?” Smith said the following, Against. I wasn’t in Parliament at the time, I would have voted against, I was opposed to it at the time. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions which off Mr smith's Faces you wish to believe.

I'll tell you this. There's absolutely no way he would have got Labour up to 40% of the vote share and an extra 30 seats. Imagine if he'd beaten Corbyn in 2016. He makes Miliband look competent.

you can tell that owen jones wants jeremy to win he seems far more confrontational with owen smith

Interview Milo Yiannopoulos?!

Even if you don't like Owen smith don't dislike the video because it is a good interview.

It seems to me like Owen Smith just says what he thinks people want to hear.

I am not convinced that Owen is a politician of substance, he does not have any distinct policies, he does appear to have held his socialist views for long. He might be good enough at PR to persuade the electorate to vote Labour but I suspect that people have grown tired and suspicious of PR politics. I suspect that he is the corporate, lobbyist, establishment choice for Labour leader. He does not inspire me and I find it difficult to trust him.

When asked "if you winwill you purge the left?" why doesn't he say "I am the left!" because he is isn't simple. Pretending he is to get elected is a waste of time.

I will probably vote for this guy

Can see straight thru you Owen smith Corbyn all the way

Just another typical politician , full of soundbites , opportunistic , deceitful , cowardly and completely self serving. Just step down Smith & Co so that Labour can go back to being labour instead of Tory Lite.

I took two points away from that , which i can not tolerate. He utterly disagrees with democracy within the party membership (leadership) and he utterly disagrees with democracy within the country (brexit). This man is not for the people, he will make people vote until the result is acceptable. [Shakes head]

This was about 56mins too long.

15:56 He didnt know about the coup? ... John Mann MP tweeted that he was approached six months ago to back Owen Smith as Labour leader.

How can you dislike (or like) the video until you actually watch the thing?

I am fairly centre-right and would happily vote for Owen Smith as he sounds like an adult. He is calm, mature and considered. He apologises quickly and acknowledges mistakes when made. He doesn't rant and rave or accuse other people of deliberately trying to split the Labour Party. For someone who has only recently come to the forefront he conducts himself well. The problem with the Corbyn and his acolytes is that they seem to be living in an echo chamber. People who do not agree with Corbyn and his team are treated almost as if they are 'unclean' and subhuman. Any dissent is regarded to be treachery rather than a rational disagreement. This faction at the top of the Labour movement is an example of demagoguery and is decidedly anti-intellectual. They come up with simplistic solutions and 'radical' ideas to whip people up into a frenzy. There is an element of misogyny and hubris which dismisses anyone who does not naturally vote Labour. The cabal revels in the limelight of finally receiving recognition and validation. It behaves like a spurned adolescent and reacts with fury when challenged. It fails to acknowledge the complexity of modern life and the detailed, extensive research and study that is required to succeed in most areas of modern life. If Corbyn 'wins' his re-election the tragedy will not be that of Labour Party but it will be a disaster for the entire nation...

Damn, i'm glad Smith has had a good forum to speak his views, i like him much more now that he's had an opportunity to elucidate his vision. I'm probably gonna vote him now

He lies well. I can see why he was chosen.

I dislike the "My Father was... My Mother was...." Tony Benn was mostly Anti war, Hillary Benn is mostly Pro War.

Owen don't you think you should interview Jeremy again and give him a chance to respond to your article and this interview?

Government at all costs? Isn't that how we got into this mess to begin with?

There is a part of me that really wishes i could trust Owen Smith, i mean that sincerely. It's just i trusted Miliband too and look where it got us. I wish Owen Smith the best, but it's Corbyn for me.

It feels to an extent that Smith doesn't see his destiny to actually become Prime Minister but just to unseat Jeremy Corbyn in some sort of kamikaze mission

Owen should have confronted him with his statements about NHS privitization rather than simply alluding to them. If he wants to be seen as credible by the membership he needs to explain those directly. As it stands he just appears to be saying what the membership want to hear with the intention of returning to business as usual if elected. All there is this vague idea that if Smith wins the polling will somehow shoot up and everything will be hunky dory in Labour land which is frankly nonsense. If there is a snap election now Labour will lose whoever is leader, the traditional Labour base is too fractured - so what is the way forward? Electing Smith would vastly dissapate the new Labour membership many of which are extremely passionate - the party needs to unite behind Corbyn, stop leaking rubbish to the press and make sure they form a professional media strategy and most importantly mobilise the new membership rather than smearing them as a anti-Semitic Trotskyite rabble of thugs. That way Labour may 'just' stand a chance in the 2020, otherwise it is just destined to a slow depressing death.

Unlike many here commenting already, I watched all of that. IF he means what he says, then he's a good socialist. He can talk well and fully deserves to be on the front bench. He does not have enough charisma to be a great leader though. It would need an extraordinary person to make it worthwhile ousting Corby at this stage and Smith is not. I'd place bets on either Lewis or Burgon to take over in a couple of years.

Don't beleive him, sorry.

This man is such a contradiction. He did not vote against austerity cuts on the disabled and the unemployed! and yet he says he understands inequality and poverty! Did he also support the bedroom tax? Does he want to carry on with the same bliar style politics? sounds like it to me. We need to create a more equal society and he hasn't given us a damn clue how he would do this. For heavens sake we have several million disabled people who have died due to austerity and yet this man hardly mentions this. Jeremy is the man to lead us, he is like The Doctor from Doctor Who standing up for the underdog and fairness in society.

Wow, those dislikes. Corbyn supporters are like children. Labour is doomed and I look forward to the 400 seat Conservative majority at the next GE with great anticipation.

Smith was like "yeah we need to capture and direct the energy of JC's renewal of people's interest in politics"... of course you do Mr corporate shill.

Allies Smith and Jones?

After leaving Parliament, Smith became the UK government relations director (ie lobbyist) for pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb. What a shock.

He talked a good game, but I was disappointed how many times he weaved criticism of Jeremy Corbyn into the conversation. Corbyn did not do that in his interview. I don't like it.

Who do you support Owen? Corbyn or Smith?

Spin! Spin! Spin! Spin! Spinnnnnn! Wonderful spin! :(

20 minutes in and I feel I'm being sold insurance.

The face on Jones says it all. He looked like he was trying really hard to keep from drifting into a deep coma. Smith is sooooo dull!

sponsored by Pfizer? :P

Owen Smith has the charisma and mystique of a root vegetable

Wow! Amazing effort there Owen Jones! You managed to sit through nearly an hour of Owen Smith and stayed awake - just, I could see your eyes going towards the end (55:04)

I don't get how, if Smith is just as radical as Corbyn, he would be able to unify the party. If he does in fact stand on the same anti-austerity platform, why would the right follow him but not Corbyn.

I'm listening, but he's just not convincing me.

Love the meaty videos Owen, but even continuously watching this guy for almost an hour I still don't buy his existence as a human. More of an identikit politician

I can't get to the end of this .....

Thank you for these longer extended interviews. With these political discussions, time is not so much of an issue.