England has its own Bernie Sanders: Self-proclaimed socialist Jeremy Corbyn seems poised to take the mantle of leadership of Britain’s main left-of-center party, just as Sanders surges in popularity in the Democratic Party in the U.S.
The summer of 2015 is being called the summer of populism, as pundits point to the popularity of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ rise in the Democratic presidential contest. Their appeal flouts the traditional fault lines of political ideology.
In the United Kingdom, Corbyn has surged ahead in the Labour Party leadership contest, and is now the heavy favorite to lead the political party that once sired Tony Blair, who is often considered a British complement to Bill Clinton — establishment-friendly, political centrists.
Corbyn and Sanders share another trait: They are both seen as fiery in rhetoric and radical in ideology. Bernie Sanders, who actually has a brother in the U.K. who runs niche, less successful left-wing campaigns for office, was asked about his familiarity with Corbyn and the aptness of the comparison.
“Look, I think whether it’s the U.K. or here in the United States, here’s the answer: People are sick and tired of establishment politics,” Sanders said. “They are sick and tired of politics where candidates continue to represent the rich and powerful [and] go out begging for money from the wealthy.
“They are sick and tired of an economics in which almost all the income and wealth are going to the top one percent, and they’re tired of a media which continues to want to have ‘gotcha’ questions and make conflict between the candidates, rather than talking about the real issues impacting the American people. … I am aware of the candidate. And I think that is what is going on this campaign,” Sanders continued.
Like candidate Barack Obama in 2008, both Sanders and Corbyn are noted for their following among young voters. However, in a campaign field that features younger, well-spoken, more moderate candidates in the vein of the president, it seems this demographic is now opting for gruffer, more elder spokesmen (Sanders is 73, Corbyn in Britain is 66).
