When Jeremy Corbyn gave his speech on Wednesday, the conference hall bore a closer resemblance to a stadium concert than your bog-standard political meeting. The Labour leader was given a hero’s welcome from party members decked out in Corbyn fan merchandise. He received a standing ovation before he’d even emitted a word, and an impromptu chant of ‘Oh, Jeremy Corbyn’ soon followed.
Corbyn’s position has never been more secure and this year’s conference has only gone to cement the new normal for Labour – it is a loud and proud socialist party. Buoyed by the snap election, MPs and members alike have embraced Corbyn’s anti-austerity narrative – no-one is having a ‘friendly’ debate over how best to balance the books anymore.
It’s this newfound confidence in Corbynism since the snap election that has led to a bolder and more radical approach in the policies and tone the leadership is now adopting: mass nationalisation, rent controls and a shift in foreign policy.
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