The December 2019 election presented a clear choice to the British people. A Labour Party mobilised on a scale not seen since the 1950s faced a Conservative Party with limitless funds and unrivalled expertise in modern techniques of mass persuasion. Corbyn inspired young people with a programme that was equal to the challenges facing the country. But his project failed nevertheless.
Millions were still caught up in the dreamworld of resentments and fantasies constructed by the billionaire press. Not only that, after the close election in 2017 the right and their media spent two years telling carefully identified audiences whatever they thought would best alienate them from Labour. Millions who stood to gain from a Labour victory came to believe that Corbyn was just another triangulating politician, a closet racist, or an out of touch metropolitan do-gooder. As a result the most authoritarian and incompetent administration in living memory secured a handsome majority after a campaign of idiotic and destructive lies.
All the while, elements in the Labour Party itself, and supposedly moderate and liberal elites outside, were working together to undermine Corbyn and his political project. In the words of Peter Mandelson their goal was nothing less than “to bring forward the end of his tenure in office”. A few months later those who had worked hardest behind the scenes to destroy Corbyn’s brand of social democracy were celebrating when their favoured candidate was installed as leader of the party.
