I have this crazy theory that right-wing populism may be on the rise.
The first hint I had that the West was rapidly spiralling into that age-old trap of populism came with the influx of recent electoral results. We saw the second election of Donald Trump, the substantial rise in support for Reform UK, and the close calls our neighbouring European countries had with populist nationalist politics, France and Italy, to name a couple.
The impulse to curl into oneself and despair at the Western descent into right-wing populism calls strongly. So, what can we do to prevent the shadow that Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have cast over Western politics?
The answer could be to match the conspiracies, anti-democratic sentiment, and fascist tendencies of right-wing populism with left-wing populism, which is being liberally described as a socialist or even communist political narrative.
But what examples of left-wing populism can we conjure up? There is Zohran Mamdani, who emerged victorious as the Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor. Mamdani, a 33-year-old, self-proclaimed ‘millennial progressive,’ has come under fire from opponents for being too ‘radical’ and ‘left-wing,’ with accusers claiming Mamdani is a ‘socialist.’ This, it seems, is the perfect representation of ‘left-wing populism.’
But is it? Mamdani’s policies include a focus on affordability; free, citywide bus services, rent freezes, landlord accountability and universal childcare, just to name a few. Does this seem radical? It is being named as such. Either way, Mamdani’s ‘radicalism’ has inspired a social media sensation and a wave of excitement amongst Democratic New Yorkers.
What can the Labour Party learn from this? Firstly, that they may be wrong. It is true that centrism has historically managed to pull political parties back from the electoral brink. Tony Blair, in 1997, for example, led a campaign which both celebrated the free-market ideology of Thatcher, yet encouraged heavy investment into public services as a means of social mobility. This ‘third-way’ ideology pulled Labour out of opposition and paved the way for a 179-seat majority.
Why, then, is centrist, mainstream policy proving to harm the current government?
A recent poll proved that a third of Labour members no longer believe Keir Starmer is a good Prime Minister. It is clear that the Labour Party has fallen into the trap of believing they needn’t have an ideology, as the Tories’ mistakes would win the election for them. Coupled with uninspiring policy and a pure lack of charisma, it seems that the public is simply not responding to the Labour government.
Perhaps then, the answer is to channel the magic of Mamdani. In the current climate, with the cost-of-living crisis reaching new highs, Mamdani’s emphasis on social care, reducing everyday expenses and being on ‘the side of the New Yorker’ seems to have struck a chord in the public sphere.
Maybe Labour should fight fire with fire and see how the public responds to a regime which doesn’t try to adapt to right-wing populism but challenges it.
“Zohran Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally in Bryant Park on Oct 27th 2024” by Bingjiefu He is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Labour Should Borrow a Page from the Populist Left’s Playbook
I have this crazy theory that right-wing populism may be on the rise.
The first hint I had that the West was rapidly spiralling into that age-old trap of populism came with the influx of recent electoral results. We saw the second election of Donald Trump, the substantial rise in support for Reform UK, and the close calls our neighbouring European countries had with populist nationalist politics, France and Italy, to name a couple.
The impulse to curl into oneself and despair at the Western descent into right-wing populism calls strongly. So, what can we do to prevent the shadow that Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have cast over Western politics?
The answer could be to match the conspiracies, anti-democratic sentiment, and fascist tendencies of right-wing populism with left-wing populism, which is being liberally described as a socialist or even communist political narrative.
But what examples of left-wing populism can we conjure up? There is Zohran Mamdani, who emerged victorious as the Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor. Mamdani, a 33-year-old, self-proclaimed ‘millennial progressive,’ has come under fire from opponents for being too ‘radical’ and ‘left-wing,’ with accusers claiming Mamdani is a ‘socialist.’ This, it seems, is the perfect representation of ‘left-wing populism.’
But is it? Mamdani’s policies include a focus on affordability; free, citywide bus services, rent freezes, landlord accountability and universal childcare, just to name a few. Does this seem radical? It is being named as such. Either way, Mamdani’s ‘radicalism’ has inspired a social media sensation and a wave of excitement amongst Democratic New Yorkers.
What can the Labour Party learn from this? Firstly, that they may be wrong. It is true that centrism has historically managed to pull political parties back from the electoral brink. Tony Blair, in 1997, for example, led a campaign which both celebrated the free-market ideology of Thatcher, yet encouraged heavy investment into public services as a means of social mobility. This ‘third-way’ ideology pulled Labour out of opposition and paved the way for a 179-seat majority.
Why, then, is centrist, mainstream policy proving to harm the current government?
A recent poll proved that a third of Labour members no longer believe Keir Starmer is a good Prime Minister. It is clear that the Labour Party has fallen into the trap of believing they needn’t have an ideology, as the Tories’ mistakes would win the election for them. Coupled with uninspiring policy and a pure lack of charisma, it seems that the public is simply not responding to the Labour government.
Perhaps then, the answer is to channel the magic of Mamdani. In the current climate, with the cost-of-living crisis reaching new highs, Mamdani’s emphasis on social care, reducing everyday expenses and being on ‘the side of the New Yorker’ seems to have struck a chord in the public sphere.
Maybe Labour should fight fire with fire and see how the public responds to a regime which doesn’t try to adapt to right-wing populism but challenges it.
“Zohran Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally in Bryant Park on Oct 27th 2024” by Bingjiefu He is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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