The left traditionally faces four formidable enemies: wealthy interests, the political elite, the mainstream media and itself. Over the past few days, the last of these has stormed back with a vengeance.
When the independent MP and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the former Labour MP Zarah Sultana announced the birth of a new leftwing party, the surge of interest shocked even its founders. More than 750,000 people signed up in support of an unchristened, nonexistent party. Polling suggested nearly a third of Britons would vote for an alliance with the Greens; among under-35s, support rose to 52%. That media outlets spent more time mocking its placeholder name, Your Party, than seeking to understand this phenomenon tells its own story. In today’s Britain, “legitimate concerns” means kicking out migrants, not taxing elites to rebuild crumbling services.
