Marxism and Politics Lecture Series: Corbynism, Sanders, and the Future

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For years, American socialists have watched with excitement as Jeremy Corbyn’s sudden rise in the UK Labour Party seemed to mirror Bernie Sanders’ surge to national prominence in the US. It was a deeply felt shock when the party, with historic roots in the working class and an ambitious Manifesto calling for nationalization of major industries, lost to Boris Johnson and the Tories. As left-wing activists within Labour sought to rid the party of Third-Way Blairism, they were forced to contend with conflicting demands, particularly around Brexit, pushed by different components of the party base. In this talk, our panelists will discuss the unique challenges Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum faced in trying to take back a party, and how the political landscape around the most recent UK election led to defeat. Crucially, we will explore the implications this has for socialist political strategy more broadly and what lessons translate to the current American election.