JK Rowling is right about Jeremy Corbyn – he bears no resemblance to Dumbledore at all
Rowling’s Dumbledore was a twinkly-eyed and kind headmaster, full of Shakespearean wisdom and deeply powerful magic. Jeremy Corbyn just had a spat with Virgin Trains and doesn’t want you to go to the pub
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Hang on, that’s not politics. That’s Harry Potter. An easy mistake to make, it seems. Supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have been insistent in their comparisons of their hero to his significantly lusher-bearded fictional doppelganger. JK Rowling, undisputed queen of Twitter and magical creator of the wizarding world, hasn’t been taking this lying down.
The author, who has over 8 million followers on Twitter, has been vocal in her support of Owen Smith and critical of Jeremy Corbyn throughout the Labour leadership contest. She hit back at comparisons between Corbyn and Dumbledore, and in response, his supporters trolled her and those who agreed with her, with a viciousness that is becoming all too familiar.
Rowling retweeted messages calling her Satan, Voldemort, and - gasp - Rita Skeeter. I’ve seen enough of Corbynite Twitter to know there will have been far, far worse. Debating the ethics of insulting strangers on the internet is often an irritatingly long-winded conversation for a discussion which could be summed up it about three words: Don’t do it, d**khead. (Four.) This parade of internet abuse is all the more ridiculous given that we live in Britain: a country where apologising on the Tube is a national sport.
This all happened just in time to ruin Back to Hogwarts Day. Readers will know that at 11am sharp, every September 1st, the Hogwarts Express departs from Kings Cross Platform 9 and ¾. Theresa May, if you want to avoid the (admittedly quite apt) comparisons to Dolores Umbridge, I’d suggest you consider making it a national holiday.
More importantly, however, comparing political figures to favourite characters from fictional fantasy universes is astoundingly unhelpful. Corbyn’s supporters may have been raised on tales of Hogwarts but it's evident that they didn’t take in much of the wisdom the books contained. Rowling’s Dumbledore was a twinkly-eyed and kind headmaster, full of Shakespearean wisdom and deeply powerful magic. Jeremy Corbyn just had a spat with Virgin Trains and doesn’t want you to go to the pub.
A narrative in which the forces of good ultimately triumph over evil is an essential part of the wizarding world. But this is reality: the Tories are in power, and, as fun as deciding which Death Eater is most like Jeremy Hunt (Lucius has my vote), this la-la-la fingers-in-ears approach really isn’t going to get anyone left of Cornelius Fudge elected.
‘JK Rowling and the Labour Leadership Contest’ is, despite making an even worse Harry Potter sequel than the Cursed Child (sorry, JK), an excellent warning for modern celebrity. Don’t stray from the script, don’t tell the fans anything they don’t want to hear, and for God’s sake keep out of politics or they’ll take the OBE back.
I’ll leave you with a few words of Dumbledore’s sagest advice: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” Jeremy, I hope you’re listening. Have a long, hard look into the Mirror of Erised. Does it show you standing on the steps of No 10, shaking hands with Hillary Clinton? Have you won the General Election? Or is the deepest, most desperate desire of your heart simply a potter round the allotment and a nice seat next to your wife on the train?
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