Corbyn vs Branson over CCTV Traingate – Who’s Right?

It might have just been a slow news month in August – or it might have been another nail in the coffin of the Jeremy Corbyn orchestrated by media and big business – but whatever the reason, the Labour leader’s tussle with Virgin and its owner Richard Branson has become a very public affair.

For those unfamiliar with the yarn (where have you been hiding yourself?), Corbyn filmed a video of himself championing the re-nationalisaton of British railways earlier this month. At the time, he was sitting on the floor of a Virgin train which he claimed was “ram-packed”, lending fuel to the fire of his argument.

Branson, clearly taking umbrage at such a whimsical turn of phrase, ransacked the Virgin CCTV archives and published footage appearing to show Corbyn walk past empty, unreserved seats before parking himself on the floor. Later still, Corbyn was actually snapped in a seat, casting aspersions on the validity of his story altogether.

What Corbyn says

In the wake of the Virgin footage, Corbyn’s team have explained that there were a handful of unreserved seats on the train, but none with two berths together. Since Corbyn is ever the doting husband, he wished to sit next to his wife and so finally settled for some floor real estate adjacent to the toilets instead.

His team have also claimed that there were bags and clothes sitting on some of the seats which appeared to be free in Virgin’s video, indicating that they were not in fact empty, and a couple of eye witnesses have come forward to corroborate his story. Indeed, one woman has even taken to Twitter to post a video of herself and Corbyn on the floor to back up the Labour leader.

Meanwhile, it has also been claimed that Virgin broke their own rules in releasing the CCTV footage, which dictate that such material will not be made public unless in the event of public safety or for a criminal investigation.

The effect on both parties

For their apparently negligent behaviour in releasing the CCTV images, Virgin will most likely get a slap on the wrist and a spell on the naughty stair for all of five minutes. Meanwhile, Corbyn’s image has taken another body blow, with the national media turning him into something of a laughing stock – despite the corroborating evidence in his favour.

The Financial Times have released a pseudo-religious article entitled the Jeremy Corbyn and the parable of the Virgin berth, Twitter has fairly exploded with ridicule (and a smattering of support) for the beleaguered Labour leader, while even toy manufacturer Hornby is getting in on the act.

The moral to be taken from this? If you’re vying for leadership of not just a political party but an entire nation, it’s probably best not to sit down on the floor of a train and complain about it publicly. Especially when the media have already taken a pronounced distaste to your candidacy and the man you are attacking has a vested interest in disproving your claims, along with virtually unlimited resources to do so.

Don’t blame it on the CCTV!

While CCTV may be the reason Corbyn (and to a lesser extent, Branson) have come a-cropper in this particular case, it shouldn’t be held responsible for causing the brouhaha. Indeed, in most circumstances, CCTV is instrumental in settling arguments, not making them worse – and when it comes to home security, it’s an invaluable tool in safeguarding your property.

At Blackburn Alarms, we have a whole host of intruder alerts, CCTV security cameras and access control systems to increase safety and give you peace of mind. To find out more about how we can help prevent crime in and around your home or workplace, get in touch with us today.