Corbyn leadership

Almost one year ago, on a humid Wednesday evening, I made the trip after work to Ealing, where I had a ticket to a sold-out event with the Labour leader candidate, Jeremy Corbyn.

I had been following his steady ascendancy onto the grassroots pedestal for some weeks, and like many was buoyed by this man who, for all his lack of obvious style and charisma, or perhaps because of it, appeared to be the representative of a new kind of politics that might be possible.

Across Europe, left wing movements were reaching office in Greece and gaining traction in Spain, while reports were starting to emerge of a guy called Bernie Sanders who was making promising ripples in the stagnant reservoir of American politics.

I had seen Corbyn speak a year or so before, at a Stop the War conference in Central London. Although I'd been there predominantly to get a chance to see the late great Tony Benn speak, I remember being impressed and faintly surprised that the Labour party still possessed, on its ragged fringes, an MP of Corbyn's conviction and moral principles.

In Ealing Town Hall the atmosphere was of that kinetic level of excitement normally only experienced at a gig before the main act takes to the stage. Corbyn was almost an hour late, as he had spontaneously addressed the crowd still outside without tickets, then going to an overflow room, before finally arriving in the main hall full of around 1,500 people to a standing ovation.

I remember what a diverse and eclectic crowd it was in attendance, the demographic sweep appeared to have been uniquely comprehensive. I recall recognising the journalist Seamus Milne lurking off to one side of the hall; at that time not yet appointed as Corbyn's communications guru, but there to survey the lay of the land nonetheless.

My overriding feeling of the event was one of genuine enthusiasm, cautious optimism and tangible hope; feelings that my perhaps overly cynical self had not expected to find being aroused by a political rally for a Labour leader.

One year on, and the UK has voted to leave the EU, Theresa May as the new PM has appointed the most right wing cabinet in years, Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton as Democratic nominee, and Jeremy Corbyn is having to restand for the leadership again. Yes, it is turbulent times for Labour, who have done their utmost to discredit and destabilise Corbyn since his election, and have descended into petulant mutiny since the referendum.

At time of writing, Labour had just received 183,000 new members in 48 hours, a staggering and surely unprecedented achievement. The opportunity for Labour to harness the passion, energy and enthusiasm that I felt pulsing through Ealing Town Hall has never been more pressing or possible. Time will tell whether it flourishes or wilts on the poisonous vine of the Labour party machine.