In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I explore the striking parallels between the British Labour Party's war on Jeremy Corbyn and the Democrat establishment's growing fear of Zohran Mamdani – a new kind of left politics that refuses to be bullied.
We begin with the uncomfortable truth that much of what passes for \"liberalism\" in American politics – and \"moderation\" in British politics – is a defence of wealthy interests dressed up in progressive language. The Democrats and the post-Thatcher Labour Party share a common DNA: they believe in markets, they court Wall Street and Silicon Valley, and they have systematically abandoned any meaningful commitment to redistributing wealth and power.
Then we turn to the Corbyn story – an object lesson for the American left. Between 2015 and 2020, a genuinely anti-austerity movement swept through the Labour Party, only to be destroyed from within by a coordinated campaign of sabotage. The Labour right, funded by billionaire donors and organised through secretive groups like Labour Together, waged a rolling coup against their own leader – not because they disagreed with his policies, but because he threatened to actually implement them.
Now we see similar dynamics unfolding in New York, where Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a powerful left voice. Mamdani is running on a platform of material issues – rent, childcare, transport – that directly address the crises ordinary people face. Unlike some on the centre-left, he has not thrown marginalised communities under the bus to win elections. He refuses to waver on Palestine. He has shown that a popular left platform is possible – and that is precisely why the establishment fears him.
**Topics covered:**
- The ideological collapse of the Democrats and Labour Party
- Neoliberalism, austerity, and the abandonment of social democracy
- The Corbyn years and the internal sabotage of the Labour left
- The rise of Zohran Mamdani in New York
- How the centre-left handles the left – the lessons of Corbyn
- The fear that democratic socialism might actually work
---
*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*