Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn is a British left-wing politician and Independent MP for Islington North, suspended from Labour and returned to Parliament as an independent in 2024. Born in 1949, he led the Labour Party and the opposition from 2015 to 2020.

Political career

Jeremy Corbyn was born in 1949 in Chippenham, Wiltshire, and grew up in a politically engaged family. He was educated at Adams' Grammar School and did not attend university, instead entering public life through trade union and campaigning work. Before becoming an MP, he was active in anti-racist, anti-war and community politics, including local campaigns in north London.

Corbyn was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 as the Labour MP for Islington North, a seat he held for decades and which became closely associated with his personal political identity. From the outset, he aligned himself with Labour’s hard-left traditions, frequently rebelling against his party whip on issues such as nuclear weapons, military intervention and public spending.

He built a reputation as a constituency MP and as a prominent backbench campaigner. He was often visible in movements outside Westminster, including peace campaigns, solidarity with Irish republican causes, anti-austerity protests and labour disputes. His long parliamentary career gave him credibility among activists, while also marking him out as a persistent dissenter within the parliamentary Labour Party.

Corbyn’s unexpected election as Labour leader in 2015 followed the party’s defeat in the general election and came after he had entered the contest as a rank-and-file candidate with little establishment backing. His victory was driven by support from party members and newly affiliated supporters, reflecting a sharp shift in the internal balance of Labour politics.

As leader, he attempted to move Labour towards a more explicitly socialist platform, including higher public investment, renationalisation of key utilities and greater intervention in the economy. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020, during a period dominated by Brexit and major disputes over Labour’s strategic direction. His leadership was ultimately shaped by the 2017 and 2019 general elections: Labour improved strongly in 2017 but suffered a heavy defeat in 2019.

He stood down as Labour leader after the 2019 election and was succeeded by Keir Starmer in 2020. Corbyn later lost the Labour whip in 2024 and sat as an independent MP, while retaining his Islington North seat.

Relationship with the public

Corbyn has long had a strong relationship with parts of the Labour grassroots, trade union activists, students, anti-war campaigners and sections of the left-oriented electorate. His personal style — plain-speaking, informal and often understated — has been a major part of his appeal. Supporters have tended to see him as principled, consistent and unusually trustworthy compared with many career politicians.

His constituency record has also been important. In Islington North, he developed a reputation for accessibility, local casework and regular engagement with community groups. That strong local connection helped him retain a loyal base even when his national popularity was far more mixed.

His relationship with the media has usually been difficult. Much of the press portrayed him as ideologically extreme, electorally weak or unprepared for office, especially during his leadership of Labour. He was also frequently criticised for ambiguous communication, slow responses to crises and an apparent reluctance to engage in media management. Supporters argued that this hostility reflected an establishment unwilling to accept a radical left alternative.

Among the wider public, Corbyn has remained a polarising figure. He has been admired for his anti-war activism, emphasis on inequality and authenticity, but criticised by opponents for leadership flaws, perceived tolerance of internal factionalism and difficulties in presenting Labour as a government-in-waiting.

Positions and political profile

Corbyn is identified with democratic socialism, anti-austerity politics, public ownership and opposition to military intervention. He has consistently championed stronger rights for workers, higher taxes on wealth and large-scale public investment in housing, transport and services. During his leadership campaign and later as party leader, he supported renationalisation of rail, postal and utility services, tuition-fee abolition, expanded public spending and a more interventionist state.

He has also been a long-standing critic of nuclear weapons, particularly the Trident system, and a supporter of unilateral or near-unilateral disarmament. This positioned him well to the left of the Labour mainstream and contributed to suspicion among some MPs, commentators and voters about his fitness to lead a major party.

On foreign policy, Corbyn has strongly opposed wars in Iraq, Libya and elsewhere, often prioritising diplomacy, human rights and anti-imperialist arguments over military intervention. That stance earned him deep respect among peace campaigners, but it also exposed him to accusations of naivety or inconsistency from critics who saw his views as reflexively anti-Western.

Within Labour, Corbyn became the focal point of a major internal realignment. To supporters, he represented a democratic revival of the party and a break with New Labour centrism. To opponents, he symbolised ideological drift, organisational weakness and electoral risk. His leadership saw an expansion of party membership and enthusiasm among activists, but also repeated tensions with the parliamentary party and concerns about discipline, messaging and credibility.

Two moments defined his leadership. First was his 2017 general election performance, when Labour exceeded expectations and reduced Theresa May’s majority to a hung parliament. This temporarily strengthened his standing and showed that his appeal could extend beyond the party base. Second was the 2019 general election defeat, after which Labour suffered its worst result since 1935 and lost multiple seats in its traditional heartlands. That result fundamentally damaged the argument that Corbynism could form a stable governing project.

Corbyn remains an influential figure on the British left, even outside the Labour Party, and continues to be associated with movement politics, peace campaigning and opposition to economic inequality.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jeremy Corbyn? Jeremy Corbyn is a British politician who served as Labour Party leader and Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020, and who has represented Islington North since 1983.

Is Jeremy Corbyn still a Labour MP? No. He was suspended from the Labour Party and now sits as an Independent MP for Islington North.

What is Jeremy Corbyn known for? He is best known for his left-wing politics, opposition to war, support for public ownership, criticism of austerity and his surprise election as Labour leader in 2015.

Why was Jeremy Corbyn controversial? He divided opinion because supporters saw him as principled and authentic, while critics viewed him as electorally weak, too radical for government and ineffective in dealing with party conflict.

Did Jeremy Corbyn lead Labour in a general election? Yes. He led Labour in the 2017 and 2019 general elections; Labour gained ground in 2017 but suffered a severe defeat in 2019.

What kind of politics does Jeremy Corbyn represent? Corbyn represents the democratic socialist wing of British politics, with strong emphasis on workers’ rights, anti-austerity policies, anti-war positions and public ownership.