Corbyn’s legacy is here to stay

It’s been just over a year since the British people finally squashed a hard-left push for power under the dismal but unyieldingly dangerous leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. On 12 December 2019 we dodged a collective bullet. But Corbynism lasted almost half a decade; it reshaped the national conversation. As we enter 2021 it’s worth considering what it has taught us about our politics and what its legacy might be for Britain.

First off, Corbynism provided something much-needed: a reminder that the left does not have a monopoly on virtue, or even on that vague but actually pretty important political quality – niceness. The dangers of an unfettered right are a staple of western politics. When I was growing up it was Nick Griffin who, without ever being an electoral threat, haunted the political margins: an ugly reminder of what was out there. More recently (and more mainstream) we have Nigel Farage.