Jeremy Corbyn surprised the nation when in 2015, against all odds, he was elected to be Leader of the Opposition Labour Party. Dogged by stories of antisemitism and links to the IRA throughout his time in office, the Conservative landslide of 2019 was the final straw needed to remove him. But Corbyn was especially popular among younger voters and students, but how was he so different?
Corbyn – The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics analyses how it was that activist Jeremy Corbyn was able to take the top job in Labour, and the efforts of those principally in his own party to take him down. The book discusses not only the plots to undermine the leader, from London mayor Sadiq Khan to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, but also the history of the Labour party, and why the party always has been, and seems destined to remain, a vehicle of the Right.
The book is simply fascinating. As someone who had never read or knew much about Corbyn, the book was a brilliant insight into who this person is, how he got to be leader and also how parties tend to work against their own. Whilst the idea of infighting, backstabbing and scheming has become synonymous with all political parties in Westminster, this book defines and exposes the plots by the Right of the party, who have controlled it for the vast majority of its history, including their 1997-2010 period in office. It also goes on to discuss why it is that Corbyn’s views are so unique within the Labour party and does a great job at explaining exactly why the Labour party is in the state it’s in currently, seen by many to be the same as the Conservatives.
It was also intriguing to see how a Left-leaning figure had become such a rarity within the higher echelons of British politics. The book explains how Thatcher’s programmes were cemented by all subsequent Prime Ministers, and delves deeply and into this, with a Corbyn Prime Minister being the closest thing 10 Downing Street would have seen to a Left-wing politician, with Blair and Brown proven to be, in some cases, more Right-wing than Cameron or May. It was also brilliant in showcasing how the youngest in our society were mobilised and electrified by Corbyn’s campaigning and messaging, in a way very few politicians have been able to emulate.
This book is a brilliant insight into the most radical party leader of modern British politics, and the structures of the Labour party that leaves it destined to remain another Right-wing institution, despite what its figures and activists may claim.
Rating: ★★★★★
Corbyn – The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics (ISBN: 978-1-78663-299-9) was published in 2016
