Jeremy Corban’s unexpected 2015 rise to the leadership of the U.K. Labour Party and his recent resounding victory over the right-wing forces within the party that tried to dislodge him are sending shockwaves throughout Europe – waves that could reach the shores of the U.S. if events continue to unfold in the same direction.
During the past decade, the right wing of the Labour Party (i.e., Tony Blair and his followers) has fallen into disrepute for embracing similar, although less severe, austerity policies pushed by the conservative Tories. These unpopular, neoliberal policies include cutting back and privatizing government services, reducing labor protections, and lowering taxes on corporations, all of which translate into less security and a lower standard of living for the working class. Tony Blair’s eager and uncritical participation in the 2003 Iraq war only compounded his unpopularity.