Corbynism

Corbynism refers to the rapid rise to power of British politician Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn was first elected to Parliament as a representative of Islington North, an area with a strong core of working-class voters. Corbyn served as a member of the Labour Party, but did not strictly follow the party platform. For many years, Corbyn was considered more left-leaning than most Labour party politicians. He was known for associating with members of Sinn Féin, an Irish republican and democratic socialist party, and for advocating for socialist legislation.

When the head of the Labour Party stepped down in 2015, Corbyn campaigned to take the position. He proved immensely popular with younger voters, and crowds of thousands gathered to hear the politician speak. Corbyn won the position with an overwhelming majority. As opposition leader, Corbyn continued to grow in popularity. His consistent support for policies popular with the youth of the United Kingdom, in addition to his charismatic speeches, led to hundreds of thousands of new members of the Labour Party. This gave the party a significant say in Brexit negotiations, as well as a chance at reclaiming the office of Prime Minister in future elections.

Background

Jeremy Corbyn was born in Chippenham, in the English county of Wiltshire, on May 26, 1949. The youngest of three sons, Corbyn attended both a state school and a private preparatory school. As a youth, he worked for a local newspaper before spending two years performing volunteer work in Jamaica.

Following his work in Jamaica, Corbyn secured a position as a trade union organizer. Corbyn was then elected to his first office, as councillor for Haringey, North London, at twenty-four years old. In 1983, Corbyn was first elected to Parliament as a representative of Islington North.

Corbyn represented a working-class area of London. As a member of Parliament, he represented the interests of his constituents, backing most working-class causes. He associated with the powerful left-wing politician Tony Benn, and wrote for a communist newspaper. The politician opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons and supported nuclear disarmament. Additionally, Corbyn was known to associate with the Sinn Féin, the political organization that advocates for the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Corbyn quickly earned a reputation for independent thought and action. Despite close ties to Labour leadership, Corbyn routinely voted against the wishes of the party. Corbyn supported socialist and working-class causes consistently throughout his career. For this reason, Corbyn was considered a divisive figure within the Labour party.

Under the leadership of Ed Miliband, the political alignment of the Labour Party shifted to the left. This aligned the goals and policy of the party more closely with those supported by Corbyn. When Miliband resigned as leader of the Labour party in 2015, Corbyn campaigned for the position.

The veteran politician's campaign style immediately set him apart from other candidates. Most politicians dressed in tailored suits and formal wear, where Corbyn was rarely seen wearing a tie. Instead, he commonly appeared in a shirt and vest, appearing quite informal. Additionally, Corbyn avoiding reducing his political opinions to soundbites, and refrained from publishing personal attacks against his opponents. Many voters associated Corbyn's rivals, the long-time political leadership of the Labour Party, with the gradual erosion of the party's power. They hoped that electing a new figure, one who had not been afraid to stand against the party in the past, might bring a new wave of support to Labour.

Overview

Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of the Labour Party in 2015. Though Labour was the opposition party, its base was strong, and it was one of the more powerful social democratic parties in Europe. Corbyn proved immensely popular throughout the country, with thousands flocking to hear the politician speak. Under Corbyn's leadership, the Labour party rapidly grew. He convinced hundreds of thousands of voters to switch their allegiance to Labour, quickly securing the party the largest membership in England.

Many politicians were concerned about the sudden shift of voter support. Corbyn's leftist policies resonated with voters, many of whom were frustrated and dissatisfied with the British government's handling of Brexit, the decision to remove the United Kingdom from the European Union. Though Corbyn has been wary of the expansion of the European Union in the past, he supported a referendum or general election to decide the topic for the country. The Labour party supported Corbyn's position. It also cautioned against any post-Brexit deals with the United States.

Under Corbyn's leadership, the Labour party continued to champion political goals that were popular with the young people and working class of Britain. These included funding increases for the National Health Services and increased taxes on the wealthy. It also included free tuition, and support for renationalization of both the mail service and the railroad. When coupled with the Conservative party's unpopular platform, these ideals led Corbyn's Labour Party to gain a significant number of seats in Parliament.

In 2019, after Boris Johnson took over leadership of the Conservative Party, and thus the role of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he began negotiating a Brexit deal with the European Union. Though the details of the deal were not immediately made public, the arrangement was harshly opposed by Corbyn and his followers. Corbyn insisted that Johnson's deal was worse than the deal negotiated by former Prime Minister Theresa May, arguing that such a deal would risk the involvement of United States healthcare corporations in Britain's National Health Services, as well as reducing workers' rights and weakening environmental standards. Though these results were extremely unpopular with Labour voters, later that year the party suffered massive election losses that contributed to Corbyn's resignation as leader. The party lost eighty-four seats in local elections, came in third in the European Parliament elections behind the Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats, and had its lowest vote share in a general election since 1935 at 32 percent. These events caused Corbyn to step down as Labor leader.

During Corbyn's leadership, he faced significant criticism over antisemitism within the Labour Party. While Corbyn condemned antisemitism and attempted to improve disciplinary processes, the party was still found to have acted unlawfully in discriminating against some members, according to the 2020 Equality and Human Rights Commission. Because of his response to this report, Corbyn was blocked from standing as Labour member of Parliament (MP). He instead ran as an independent in the 2024 election for Islington North, where he had served since 1983. He won the seat, defeating the Labour party candidate Praful Nargund.

Bibliography

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