There has been an awful lot of talk in the last month or so, with the rise of Reform, as to whether former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will form a new coalition of independents to provide a left alternative to the Keir Starmer government. In a sense one could understand this. After all, Corbyn received a larger amount of the popular vote in 2017 than Starmer did in the recent constituency landslide.
However, it could be argued that this prayer for a left-wing coalition is incredibly misguided. The sphere of electoral politics played a filthy hand in taking down Corbyn, and the left’s tendency to crawl back into parliamentarism ought to take some time out.
Jeremy Corbyn was unfairly taken down.
It is time to get on with our lives and focus energy elsewhere, as he continues to.
2015 and the rise of Corbynism
In 2015, the British Labour Party saw the beginning of the leadership of a man who captured the love of many in the country. His base was made up of those living precarious lives, struggling to survive, or see the ascendency others have had, as well as members of many other groups so dismissively ostracised by the Conservative Party of the age.
The scaffolding of that base was the greying coals of Britain’s trade union movement, which he gained from his history of supporting them through periods of industrial strife.
His rise was incredible to watch, as men such as Tony Benn seemed to have their ideas in the Labour Party be voiced by a powerful leadership. Accusations of dominance by the more principally left voices have been a staple in the Labour Party, really since its inception at the turn of the last century. Yet it seemed that at this time real change could be implemented by these people.
The moments of the 2017 election, various campaigning spots such as the infamous Glastonbury moment, and his seeming ability to blend in with cultural figures not often associated with mainstream politics were stunning. Many local activists took time away from grassroots campaigning and took to door-knocking for him. But all of these efforts were wrung out, and the British conservative and liberal establishment took to dismantling his leadership.
His policies and general approach to politics is also what attracted both the praise and ire of many.
Policies that empowered grass-roots movements
In a recent interview, Corbyn ally Andrew Murray discussed the appeals to Corbyn’s particular form of social democracy. The most important and most poignant, given the situation in Gaza, is Corbyn’s anti-imperialism.
Imperialism, as Murray states, is endemic to British culture and material existence as a modern nation. Those who have either lived it or taken the time to learn its history know it funds our infrastructure, our industry, and our consumption. Corbyn has firmly stood against this since the beginning of his political career, and in a recent march on London by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was questioned by the Metropolitan Police.
Corbyn’s Labour leadership helped to open up discussions on the subjects of British and American imperialism in the UK, that are absolutely vital to cite. After Corbyn’s leadership, grassroots movements like BLM began, Rhodes must fall started its campaign, and the mass protest marches for Palestinian solidarity have been some of the most well attended in London’s history.
This is not solely due to Corbyn – but having the Leader of the Opposition proudly stand with those oppressed in the Global South helped to spread that conversation to those perhaps without access to that knowledge from life-experience.
Now that he is out of power, however, the conversation and the campaigning must go on without a dedicated focus on parliament, taking what Corbyn and others helped facilitate in the late 2010s and grow more of that genuine solidarity and opposition from it.
Times have changed
The situation seen as it now differs greatly from 2019.
With his stand as an independent MP in his constituency of Islington North, some have reopened the wilted case for left-wing prominence in the British House of Commons. The assault on Gaza and the movement against it helped to push many away from the Labour Party’s leadership, as even moderates were queasy at the complicit nothingness of Starmer’s cabinet.
This, combined with terror at Reform’s rise, brought the hopes of a new Corbyn-led coalition after the July election.
However, this is simply not going to be a successful endeavour, for the same reasons it failed from 2015-2019.
The reaction to any popular support for a Corbyn campaign will be identical in flavour, because parliamentary politics in the United Kingdom is a racket, moulded by a powerful media who would sweep Corbyn’s legs from him with a stockpile of smears perfected over a decade.
The answer to this difficult situation is absolutely paramount for tackling the far right and the growing imperialist tirade. Ultimately it comes down to continuing the work that Corbyn’s legacy as leader and MP already helped begin.
Continuing Corbynism – but not as we know it
Local community activism should be placed centrally, in order to continue to try to build solidarity with those in our own community and those who suffer because of our governments.
Trade union campaigning must continue and grow and show its strength – as seen in the industrial action of the last few years.
Local grassroot work should be done with members of the community facing the sharp end of government policy and business activity.
And international solidarity networking is of inexpressible importance, as Palestinians, Kurds, and Indigenous peoples everywhere are oppressed by systems of colonial violence.
Parliamentarism is not the only answer for our world’s growing suffering.
Featured image via the Canary
