This Land: The Struggle for the Left

by Owen Jones

A GUARDIAN, NEW STATESMAN AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A whodunnit political page-turner' Melissa Benn, New Statesman 'The best political book I have read for a long while' Rod Liddle, The Spectator From the No.1 bestselling author of The Establishment, an urgent analysis of where the Left - and Britain - goes nextWe live in an age of upheaval. The global crisis of Covid-19 has laid bare the deep social and economic inequalities which were the toxic legacy of austerity. These revolutionary times are an opportunity for a radical rethink of Britain as we know it, as the politically impossible suddenly becomes imaginable. And yet, the Left's last attempt to upend the established order and transform millions of lives came to a crashing halt on 12th December 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn led the Labour party to its worst electoral defeat since 1935. In This Land, Owen Jones provides an insider's honest and unflinching appraisal of a how it promised to change everything, why it went so badly wrong, where this failure leaves its values and ideas, and where the Left goes next in the new world we find ourselves in.He takes us on a compelling, page-turning journey through a tumultuous decade in British politics, gaining unprecedented access to key figures across the political spectrum. It is a tale of high hopes and hubris, dysfunction and disillusionment. There is, Jones urges, no future for any progressive project that does not face up to and learn from its errors. We have the opportunity to build a fairer country and a more equal world, but if our time is to come, then we must learn from our past.'An absorbing, nuanced account of the making of electoral disaster' Gaby Hinsliff, Guardian

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Journalism, 21st Century, Ebooks

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2020

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
An honest and illuminating account of the British left since 2015 and the entirely accidental election of Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the Labour Party. Probably the most reluctant leader of any party we have had and certainly the most unprepared. Jones is a left wing journalist who is very much a part of the left of the Labour party, so he is not neutral, but his analysis is mostly spot on. There are exceptions to that and this is a contentious book.
There is a clear analysis of the inner workings of the Labour Party and the irreparable divisions within it. I had not realised how comprehensively the party organisation worked against Corbyn. Corbyn did not expect to be elected, He stood because it was felt that someone on the left ought to. He could not even get enough MPs to support him to get on the ballot paper and a few MPs who did not support him lent him their votes. He wasn’t a conventional seeker after the leadership and as the contest went on it became apparent that members liked what he was saying. He was a principled politician and his views on most subjects were well known as were the causes he espoused: he always gave direct answers. He also disliked conflict, not usually a desirable quality in a leader. He won the contest and came close in the next general election in 2017.
There is a fair amount of uncomfortable stuff about some of the main players, much of which is arguable, Jones provide good accounts and analysis of the issues surrounding Brexit and Anti-Semitism. Labour was all over the place on Brexit. Its Northern working class voters were strongly pro-Brexit. Meanwhile in the South its more middle class and younger supporters were very pro Remain. That’s a crude generalisation, but there’s an element of truth there. Then there’s Corbyn who comes from the part of the left which has always opposed the EU. He voted to leave the EU in 1975 and has consistently voted against giving more power to the EU ever since. Corbyn was passionate about international affairs, poverty, housing etc., but not about Brexit. As one of his aides Andrew Fisher says:
“Jeremy always spoke on the issue with the enthusiasm of someone reading a photocopying manual”
And he was leading a party of Remainers. The problem with leadership is sometimes you have to be passionate about things you don’t feel passionate about. Corbyn couldn’t really do that.
There is also a lengthy analysis of Labour’s problems with Anti-Semitism, set in a historical context, which is helpful, showing how the far right and far left have both had significant problems with Anti-Semitism. It is clear that Labour Party structures were totally unfit and unable to cope with the allegations.
There is much that is contentious here, but it is very readable and if the left is to have any future there are lessons to be learnt.

[Lena , süße Maus]

can't stop thinking about the fact that Jeremy Corbyn would wear a green suit (which his staff told him he's not allowed to wear) when he was having a bad day to let everyone know that he's upset

[Emily Davies (libraryofcalliope) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Owen Jones' new book, This Land: The Story of a Movement, is an overview of the events of the last decade in the left political landscape with a particular focus on the Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party. I joined the Labour Party in 2015, part of the huge amount of members who joined after being inspired by Jeremy Corbyn and his vision, and as of 2020, I have since left. My decision to leave was due to several factors all of which I won't detail here. I was generally quite well versed in the events Jones covers in this book and it is definitely a good overview of the major events that took place over the last few years. His analysis of things like Momentum's social media campaign was excellent and provided worthwhile insight into their successes and how that played into overall the successes in the 2017 General Election. He interviews and talks to several key people which is interesting and focuses on a kind of behind the scenes' depiction of events.
Unfortunately, I felt that his analysis was not consistent. He was pushing a particular angle; that John McDonnell would have done a better job; and that coloured the whole book, "it is a tragedy for the left that John McDonnell, long the Labour left's natural figurehead, never assumed the leadership". While everything that went wrong for 'the Corbyn project' was directly Corbyn's fault, everything that went right was attributed to somebody else. The book feels like a long-form justification for Owen Jones' own flip-flopping in regards to his support of the Labour leader. Jones couldn't remove himself from the narrative. While I understand that he was present for a lot of the things he discusses and disclosing that involvement is important, it felt more like he was trying to portray himself as a Cassandra type. It's useful having insight from those in the room when it happened but at times it felt more like he was trying to brag about how important he is rather than providing any real insight.
Regarding critical analysis, Jones provided a rather inconsistent narrative. For example, he would discuss the various studies that demonstrated that media coverage of Corbyn was overwhelmingly misrepresentative and negative but then wouldn't use this to create any sort of analysis of what impact this may have had. He talks to people who complain that "'He refused to play the game, he refused to do media trainings. He just felt it'd be selling out, that he wanted to be himself."' but in another section, he discusses Corbyn's "affable, zen-like demeanour on television. [Which allowed] Viewers [to] see the contrast between his media image- dangerous terrorist-loving extremist- and a reality which seemed poles apart". By having this in different parts, the overall cohesion comes across as inconsistent and incoherent. Which is he? Is he a zen-like figure who can win people over by being himself or is it a bad thing that he wouldn't 'play the game'? This happens with many things. One minute Jones is discussing how Corbyn couldn't commit to anything out of worry of upsetting people then he's being resolutely dogmatic about his principles. He discusses how Corbyn's policies inspired people and then claims "nobody in the office seemed to understand what policy was for". As an analysis, it didn't make sense and seemed like a series of different newspaper articles copied and pasted together. This could have been fixed if he responded to his sources. He presents them all unchallenged, meaning he doesn't question what they say when they contradict each other which if he had would have vastly improved the book.
Considering the subtitle of the book, The Story of a Movement, it is much more focused on the parliamentary Labour party and the Labour Party establishment rather than the members. He, of course, mentions the huge numbers of people who joined the party and Corbyn's incredible mandates in both leadership elections, but his interviewees are generally those working in Labour HQ or members of the press. In a topic such as this, the people outside of HQ need to be considered as well, rather than as an afterthought or as a statistic to prove a point.
I wanted to like this book and as an overview of the events, it is a good starting point. It just wasn't as good as some of his other works.

[Kate Vane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Owen Jones' journalism, even if I don't agree with him. This is a very readable account of the Corbyn project. Jones is both observer and participant, as someone in sympathy with Jeremy Corbyn's aims and a former worker in John McDonnell's office. However, while writing from that perspective, he gives a balanced account of the strengths and weaknesses of the Corbyn operation and the people and groups that both supported and attempted to sabotage the project.

The book is organised thematically rather than chronologically, which can make for repetition, and there are some gaps - there's very little about Diane Abbott or Rebecca Long-Bailey, and Jones is very pro-McDonnell. I was quite familiar with the big events in the story but it's the behind-the-scenes insights that are interesting - the hostility of party staff and MPs, the poor organisation by Corbyn's team, the odd, amusing insights into Corbyn's character (there's an amusing story regarding his home-made jam and a gift to the Queen).

Corbyn was an accidental leader and was in many ways unsuited to the role. He made mistakes, and could be peevish or passive when confronted with difficult issues. He did, however, enable the party to regain its confidence and to offer hope and a vision.

Starmer appeared to promise to adopt that policy platform but offer a more organised approach and a more traditional leader's persona. Sadly, he hasn't lived up to that promise, and without him offering any clear vision of his own, it's hard to be optimistic about the Labour Party at this time.
*
I received a copy of This Land from the publisher via NetGalley.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

The number one best-selling author of Chavs and The Establishment returns with an urgent, revelatory account of where the left - and Britain - goes next. On 12th December 2019, the left died. That at least was the view of much of Britain's media and political establishment, who saw the electoral defeat of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party as the damning repudiation of everything it stood for. Yet, just over four years previously, the election of Corbyn as Labour leader seemed like a sea-change in politics: reanimating not just a party in apparently terminal decline but a country adrift, with a transformative vision based on a more just, more equal society and economy. In this revelatory new book, Owen Jones explores how these ideas took hold, how they promised to change the nature of British politics - and how everything then went profoundly, catastrophically wrong. Why did the left fail so badly? Where, in this most critical of times, does that failure leave its values and ideas? Where does it leave Britain itself? 

In This Land, Jones interviews approximately 170 Labour members at the very top of the party right down to grassroots activists to gain a flavour and real understanding of what went wrong in the 2019 election. The devastation of the left has sadly led to rising incidences of fatalism - where people believe they can no longer make a substantial contribution to politics and society through movements aimed at creating equality and promoting egalitarianism and can only merely tweak things here and there. He speaks the parties decision-makers during that time and together they try to come to a consensus of how it all went so badly wrong. It is effectively about the last five years of Corbyn's Labour, what it was up against and what it got wrong, both based on the inside accounts of those at the top and those looking in externally. An accessible, informative, fascinating and well written political piece. Many thanks to Allen Lane for an ARC.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

With everything that has happened in 2020, the General Election in December 2019 seems like a very long time ago. What ended up as a decisive victory for Boris Johnson concurrently resulted in the end of the road for Jeremy Corbyn's unexpected leadership of the Labour Party. In This Land, Owen Jones provides an insider's perspective into the Labour Party and critically analyses the successes and failures of the Corbyn years.

Being familiar with Owen Jones' work as a journalist, I was keen to read this book. I approached it with an air of trepidation as I expected Jones to be an overt apologist for the failures of 'the Corbyn project'. However, I was pleasantly surprised by fair-minded critique of the Corbyn years. Jones does not allow his inside experience to cloud his judgement of the ups and downs of the last few years. In fact, so much has happened since Ed Miliband's defeat in 2015 that this account feels like a rollercoaster ride.

I particularly enjoyed revisiting Corbyn's major high in 2017, securing the Labour Party's biggest share of the vote in a General Election since 2001. Jones really captures the excitement of a grassroots movement where the momentum (pun intended) came from the people. However, it is the behind the scenes insight into the backstabbing that characterised Labour under Corbyn that was most illuminating. Through interviews with a whole cast of characters, plus his own firsthand account, Jones does an excellent job and highlighting the inner workings and dysfunctions of the party.

Jones is fair in his critique of Corbyn, who comes across as a reluctant and indecisive leader. There's an element of sadness within the pages - a sense of what could have been had someone with more competence took the reins. From Brexit to ongoing antisemitic scandals, Jones leaves no stone unturned.

This is a great book for anyone who takes an interest in the inner workings of British politics or who is interested in analysing the chaos recent UK political history. Owen Jones is a good writer and just about manages to leave his own bias to one side. A worthwhile and important read for all sides of the political spectrum and with the shadow of the coronavirus crisis hanging over the end of the book, this felt like the appropriate time to read this one.

A copy of this book was provided for review by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Jon Bounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen Jones gives an meticulous, balanced and insightful history of Corbyn leadership. It’s engaging even if you know how the story went - and does have some things that only Owen would know, given his access and contact (he came up with the word ‘lexit’, who knew?).

It doesn’t feel like the story of a movement, though, focused as it is in the upper circles of politics. 2017 was indeed a movement, 2019 felt like we were still there on the ground, working harder if anything, but if we were the movement we didn’t move much.

It’s a tearful read in places, but important.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of the Corbyn movement and where it went wrong. Found the chronology a bit confusing at times as it jumped around a little bit, but very informative and well written, a fair account of Labour over the last 5 years

[Rosa Handscomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to read at times - especially towards the end when Jones covers the 2019 election. However, I would really recommend this as a great counterbalance to so much of the rhetoric that now surrounds the Corbyn years as a blip in Labour's history, and instead views it as an opening for leftist policies to be on the cards once again.

[Liv Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally started this audiobook a year ago but finally finished it ! Jones does a really good job of presenting a balanced history of the chaos of the Jezza Corbyn machine, alongside the way he was character assassinated by Labour factions and the media. He frames all this against the backdrop of Brexit culture wars and the eventual fall of the Red wall - reads like a v detailed political history even though this was all only a few years ago. Main criticism is that at times Jones is name dropping lots of TU leaders and party staff that can be hard to follow, found myself zoning out sometimes when it came to the some of the internal bitchiness of the Labour party. Nice to finish reading it now the Tories are finally out lol.

[Jordan Phizacklea-Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If, like me, you were an enthusiastic participant in the Corbyn project, or even just wanted to see a Labour victory in December 2019's UK general election, this is a painful but fair-minded read. An early champion of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party, Jones charts how Corbyn mobilised thousands of enthusiastic supporters with a bold, radical program that offered genuine change, but once in power was beset by internal wrangling and incompetence, as well as external pressures from a largely hostile media and mishandling of numerous party crises, not least the complex problem of dealing with cases of antisemitism. Rather than the bonfire some may be hoping for, Jones brings the benefit of being an insider who was also able to take a journalistic analysis of the Corbyn projects successes and failures, and offers constructive criticism as lessons that the New British Left can learn from if the crash of 2019 is not to be repeated.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this book offered little new analysis in an already crowded field, and doesn’t hold its own against comparable works by the likes of Tim Shipman.

Jones takes aim at the Corbyn Project, and although there is a nuance to the analysis in places, at times it does come across as apologetic for some of the more serious failings of LOTO at times.

I would have liked to see greater analysis on the future of the Labour movement under Starmer, especially given my copy included a 2021 epilogue.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh God, the Labour HQ staff trying to destroy their own party, the lifelong Labour voters switching to the Tories in 2019, the disorganisation of Corbyn and his team... what a horror book

[helena r · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly really interesting and did stay that way through most of the book apart from the endless descriptions of the problems of corbyn’s office on the day to day that was honestly really dull - but i guess also important to the failure of the Corbyn project.

made me a wee bit depressed reading the conclusion where starmer promises scrapping tuition fees and all that in 2019🤡🤡

[Imogen Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen Jones provides a very informative and interesting read following the rise and fall of the labour left. I myself have been a vocal leftie and an avid supporter of Jeremy Corbyn. That being said what I love about Jone’s book is that he doesn’t sugarcoat this and blame just the opposition. He points to the failures of the party and mistakes that they made themselves. Highlighting the issues the leadership had to face from all angles, external and internal.

It’s a brutal read, I was having flashbacks of all the newspaper headlines targeting Corbyn.

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

This lacks the spark and vitality which was such a key and driving part of Jones’s other books, but considering the subject matter, that isn’t really all that surprising. He sets his stall out well enough describing the landscape in the British Isles following the financial crisis, where apparently Britain’s workers suffered the longest squeeze in wages since the Napoleonic War and a decline in living standards surpassed only in the industrialised world by Greece. Public sector workers suffered real term pay cuts and up to £37 billion was cut from the welfare state. Of course at the same time the fortunes of the 1,000 wealthiest families more than doubled during the first half of the 2010s.

An interesting aside in here is when one man claims that neo-liberalism didn’t start in the UK with Thatcher, “It was when Labour Prime Minister Jim Callaghan and his chancellor, Denis Healey, rejected Benn’s proposals and embraced a “monetarist” agenda including a squeeze on real wages and very savage cuts in public spending.”

The moment that Corbyn became a contender for the Labour leadership, many within his own party set out to sabotage him at every turn and of course the notorious British right wing media got together on a campaign of hate, poison and lies which was devastatingly effective, particularly on a gullible public who would later go on to put Boris Johnson in, in a landslide victory.

Some of the petty and inconsequential matters he got picked on for, like not singing “God Save The Queen” are beyond laughable. He refused to get media training, or much involved with the PR and all of the BS, focus group wankers, and refused autocues etc when doing his speeches. Corbyn is certainly the only Labour leader I could ever respect or take seriously in my voting life time. This is a man who voted against the illegal invasion of Iraq. (Something the leader of the free world can’t say!) A man who wanted to increase tax on the wealthy, and impose so many fairer ideas on society. But such is the twisted world of right wing tabloids and hate media that they distort this into a negative thing?...In other words he was a fairly ordinarily man who was not impressed by the BS, pomp and ceremony involved in politics or hob nobbing with people he simply did not like or respect. He had no interest in playing the game and as a result many within his own party as well as the hateful British right wing media would never give him a moments rest.

It also didn’t help that the BBC developed a habit of reporting errors, all of which suspiciously seemed to benefit the Conservatives and punish Corbyn, including but not limited to, substituting footage of a bumbling Boris trying to place a wreath on remembrance day with old footage of him doing a better job in 2016. Another example was the BBC editing out audience laughter at Boris and instead showed only applause?...And the BBC broadcast journalists were in the habit of parroting the lines fed to them by Dominic Cummings without proper scrutiny. But look how Boris has thanked them?...who’s laughing now?...

Jones gives us a list of some of the people within the Labour party who have suspiciously dark and selfishly careerists motives which blatantly contradict what the Labour party was supposed to stand for, these include champions of gambling companies, debt collectors and water companies. Quite some way from the origins and philosophy of the first Labour party. It clearly raises the question of what is even the point of the Labour party if they are just going to be like a diet version of the Tories?...

Imagine you had a strong track record of racism, islamophobia, homophobia and losing at least two previous jobs due to dishonesty?...How hard do you think it would be to get any job let alone a decent one?...Well it didn’t deter Boris Johnson in fact millions in the UK rewarded him by voting for him and making him the leader of their country. It is a sad and depressing indictment to acknowledge that how much more pressure and punishment Corbyn endured compared to what Johnson and his band of elite liars and thieves have and continue to get away with. And Britain had the cheek to laugh at Trump and his presidency.

Corbyn was always out of his depth as a leader, the truth was he just wasn’t awful or manipulative enough to be the leader of a major political party. He had far too much integrity and morals. In the end a combination of his naivety, stubbornness and unwillingness to engage in confrontation or sue ensured it was only a matter of time before the right got their way. And of course the moral of that story is be careful what you wish for?...The UK chose to vote in clown Johnson, he and his elite cabal of sub-human serpents sleazed their way into power maintaining a steady culture of lies, corruption and profound incompetence which so far has resulted in the deaths of well over 150’000 civilian deaths and counting. Without doubt the UK is the laughing stock of the political western world, but it is Boris and his boys who laugh loudest. I wonder how many regret those hate campaigns or votes casted today?...

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling page turner, insightful account, and nuanced discussion of the rise and fall of Corbynism and true left politics.

I was particularly impressed by Jones's chapter 'Dysfunction' which - to an outsider to the internecine drama - seems like it levels various fair criticisms at Corbyn's team. I was also impressed by the chapter on antisemitism which manages to get right, in my opinion, what so many have got wrong. I would consider both to be essential reading for anyone wanting to go into politics, because few people speak about the two qualities needed by politicians that these chapters highlight: good organisation, and the ability to confront difficult perceptions of yourself (even if you vehemently see yourself otherwise).

Jones's account should actually be a manifesto of hope for the Labour left wing, because Corbynism fell not because the public didn't want a true left agenda or indeed because of some institutional witch hunt, but due to an admixture of Brexit, organisational chaos, Labour self-sabotage, insensitivity around antisemitism, and key Comms and strategy failings. Indeed, there are 5 reasons for hope: 1) the media won't necessarily be as hostile to a leftist politician; 2) there are successful alternatives to the mainstream media; 3) Brexit is over; 4) Corbyn and his team's response to antisemitism was flawed and the controversy avoidable; and 5) Corbyn's core message struck home, and couldn't ring more true than today.

1) Jones undermines the claim that Corbyn, with his policies, was inevitably going to come under the media barrage he did. Instead, Jones's cool account diagnoses all sorts of problems in how his office - and Corbyn personally - responded to what was undoubtedly a hostile media environment, and only made it 10x worse. This includes Corbyn's admirable if unhelpful charactistic of not wanting to 'play the media game' and regularly shutting out communications; lack of overarching Comms strategy which allowed Corbyn's character assassination to take centre stage; a head of strategy and Comms who couldn't manage; and constant gaffes.

This leaves hope that future leftist politicians, although undoubtedly unfavoured by mainstream media, could avoid the utter smears Corbyn faced.

2) Despite his relationship with mainstream media, Corbyn's office and Momentum were able to draw on grassroots activism to generate huge interest in and for Corbyn. While Tories now are more up to speed, the growing importance of social media in the news cycle and the increasingly digital population seem a good recipe for repeating this option. Plus, the same grassroots diaspora still exists c.f. The Big One.

3) Jones rightly points out that Brexit screwed Corbyn over royally - and eventually buoyed the Tories to huge success. But Brexit is over and its abject failures are increasingly laid bare.

That said, there are moments that Jones mentions where I can see how, with a proper comms strategy, the debate could have been helpfully reframed - but they repeatedly failed to grab the bulk by its horns. Crucially, after the 2017 election and 2019 they failed to decisively make the debate about "for the many not the few" and elite Vs establishment, and allowed it to be defined by Brexit. I also think this section failed to discuss the possibility of a path between the devil and the deep blue sea, as Oliver Eagleton did: presenting a left wing Brexit founded in holding corporations to account, workers rights, and proper environmental protections. Apparently, Fisher pushed for this. Combined with a reframing of the debate (eg McDonnells "bankers Brexit Vs workers Brexit", or calling out big corporate failings) may well have worked.

4) Jones's discussion of the antisemitism issue is impressively mature, and gives an insight into key failures from right at the top of Corbyn's office. One gets the impression that this problem could have been easily and swiftly dealt with if Corbyn had cooperated - although he did have issues in Labour HQ to contend with. Particularly impressed he regularly highlights Jewish voices.

5) Ultimately, his core message still rings true, especially after a return to unbelievably unpopular austerity, continued crumbling services, and vastly growing inequality during a cost of living crisis. Hopefully, it'll be back soon, especially given a dearth of Tory ideology.

[Daisy Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Land examines the rise of Corbynism after a long period of Tory government with its focus on austerity, and charts the rise and ultimately, the demise, of what could have been a new dawn in politics. Owen Jones writes with passion and integrity and gives a balanced account of this period in Labour's history.

Jeremy Corbyn never had any ambitions to be the Labour Leader. A backbencher passionate about foreign policy and a man of principle, he found himself thrust into the limelight in a race he never expected to win. Following the financial crash of 2008, it was clear that people were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Tory reign that had no loyalty to the many, with cuts to welfare and housing, a xenophobic approach to immigration, and what appeared to be contempt for public sector workers as their wages were cut time and again. The country was divided - the left were protesting globally, but there was also a steep rise in the far right narrative. This was only to be exacerbated with the disastrous EU referendum that was to leave the UK divided as never before.

Corbyn's campaign, for the many, not the few, saw him win the leadership contest and gain Labour the highest share of votes since 2001. But with a right wing media, and factions within his own party, he faced a battle that he was ill-prepared for. With allegations of antisemitism within his own party that were handled badly, a lack of resources, leadership skills and organization, the hopes for a new dawn in politics, were never to be realised. Owen Jones examines what Corbyn did well, and where he fell down, and the hope is still that the lessons learned will help Labour gain strength as we enter an unprecedented period of fear and uncertainty with the events of 2020 and covid 19.

[Tristan Eagling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vividly remember where I was when in 2015 when I read Owen jones's Guardian article,Jeremy Corbyn is in the Labour leadership race. The real debate starts here . The article, I believe, set in motion a series of unlikely but weirdly inevitable events, which saw the meteoric rise of a 200-1 political outsider, and his slow , excruciating fall.

It makes sense therefore, that Owen Jones, as one of the chief architects of the Corbyn project holds the pen on telling it's story. I am sure this was not an easy book to write, but in the end Owen presents a balanced albeit often self aggrandising account of the Labour party over the last 6 years.

“That summer, Corbyn and his supporters pushed against a door they thought was made of reinforced steel; as things proved, it was made of cardboard.”

One day I hope someone will make a film of Corbyn's first leadership contest, when enough time has passed so we can look back on it with rose tinted glasses. It is the perfect underdog story, and is a kind of British politics' version of Cool Running. But until then the best account we have is this well researched, warts and all post mortem of one of the most bizarre and eventful times in British politics.

[Joshua Ashurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who was, a not very politically engaged, teenager in 2015 to 2019 this book was an entertaining and very informative look at that period in British politics and the ‘Corbyn project’ as a whole. Owen Jones first hand experience working closely with the leaders office really helps show insight into to the dysfunction of the operation and the flaws of the key figures at the top of the party including Jeremy himself. He’s not afraid to emphasise the ways he failed on things like his leadership, appearances in the media, antisemitism or Brexit which is definitely refreshing when seeing some of the left treat him like a bit like some sort of a messiah. I also loved how well the chapters on the 2015 leadership election and 2017 general election were written. It felt like the same excitement and optimism felt by the left at that time was injected into the pages and it was definitely my favourite part of the book.

However, while I do appreciate the balanced look at Corbyn as a whole I do wish more emphasis was given to the role of the right of the Labour Party and the media played in his downfall. They felt like they were not treated the bigger factors that they were which is a little disappointing.

Very good book though I would recommend. (Also the issue as a whole is kinda tragic in hindsight but Corbyn was real asf for not caring about Brexit)

[Roger Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating read about the Labour Party's Corbyn years. I realised that I had only very superficially understood much of what happened - the conflicts within the Party, the response to Brexit, the antisemitism crisis, attitudes to Corbyn himself - and so this book was an absolute eye-opener. However, I personally found the level of detail frustrating - who said what to whom when - as if politics is all about personalities, day-to-day events etc. Perhaps it is, of course, but that is why we're so poorly prepared or capable of making the kinds of human and societal changes which, in my view, are so desperately needed. The book seemed to reflect the problem rather than addressing it. I would have liked an account that was more analytical and thoughtful. The account of political life which this book revealed is, for me, profoundly depressing. All that petty factionalism. Such daft egotism. Such unkindness. I ended up feeling that the most useful action may, at the moment, be outside what we call 'politics' - although at root it all comes down to power.

[Rose A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and illuminating account. This book, which was far easier to read than I was expecting a book about contemporary politics to be, really helped me to understand what was going on politically over the last few years. I feel like I understand Corbyn’s strengths and weaknesses better and I’m flabbergasted by the levels of vitriol and incompetence. Truly this system needs an overhaul. I still don’t really understand why so many in Labour were willing to sabotage their own party but I do think this book gave a very nuanced look at what happened, despite the author’s biases. I’d recommend.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a review but a consolidation of the ideas that I take away from the book, which I wrote for my own reasons but felt I might as well upload.

I wrote a note to myself half-way through reading this book that read “This Land is excellent at what it does. The trouble is, what it does is depress the fuck out of you”. The book’s end, especially the epilogue, is more optimistic, suggesting how ‘Corbynism’ already has a lasting legacy that may just about keep Britain’s left afloat. It did, after all, blow the dust off socialist ideas not discussed in mainstream politics for over a generation, and mobilise previously apathetic demographics to give Labour its greatest surge in vote share since 1945.

Corbyn’s story, and that of the movement, is one filled with both hope and with despair, which is encapsulated neatly by Jones’ partition of the book into two parts: ‘Rise’ and ‘Fall’. As others have commented, the book’s thematic structure, as opposed to a chronological one, can at times be difficult for a very average reader and armchair political commentator like myself to decipher. But it does do an excellent job in summarising where the movement went right, and where it went wrong.

That Corbyn almost became Prime Minister in 2017 was thanks to, not in spite of, the spirit of hope and compassion that he resurrected in British politics. The symbiotic relationship between the media and the Conservative party will always remain a formidable obstacle for Britain’s left, yet Corbyn proved that socialism still stands a chance in the United Kingdom. It is at once inspiring and utterly depressing to think how close Britain came to genuine change, how much better things could have been for millions of people, and to think about what might have happened without Labour’s internal squabbling and sabotage, with better leadership and political savvy-ness at the top, and at a more politically opportune time (in my view, Brexit was the most important factor that led to the failure of the Corbyn project).

Britain is in complete crisis. Hundreds of thousands are dead, nobody can afford to pay their bills, inflation is over 10%, Brexit has caused irreparable damage to the economy, bar Russia we have the lowest economic growth in the G20 and the country has ground to a complete hault thanks to strike action. Everybody - everybody - recognises the need for fundamental change. It should be abundantly clear that the Conservatives are unfit for the challenge - they are, after all, the architects of all of this. But the fact is that they will be protected by the media, and the politically disengaged public will not see the situation for what it is. That is unless, as Corbyn showed, there emerges an opposition capable of cutting through all the noise and culture war distraction to present a clear alternative, a radical vision of the country that we could be. That is the only way to fix Britain, to make it work for the many, not the few, and until there is an opposition that sees it this way, one with a clear message that sets out an inspiring vision for what Britain could be, I and the rest of Scotland will instead choose to focus on the well-established vision for what our nation could be.

[James Sandell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owen Jones has done it again - a fascinating and absorbing no-holds-barred account of the rise and fall of the greatest PM we never had, Jeremy Corbyn.

In addition, the dust jacket can double up as an excellent tissue to mop up one’s tears as we inevitably face another generation of Conservative race-baiting and kid-starving.

[Anna Le Bars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful - clearly shows that the Corbyn period in the 2010-2020’s was a difficult period. While Corbyn could have the potential to do well, him being the “lost Labour leader” is really due to the disorganization and unpreparedness by the party, for being party leader, or even idea of being PM. Made you realize that as much as he does wrong, he didn’t have an easy time from the get go

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s so weird reading a book about 2017 as if it’s ancient history … am I old?

I enjoy Owen Jones’ work , perhaps controversially. This was an interesting and easily accessible book on what went wrong (and right) with Corbyn’s leadership.

Unfortunately , we are now in the bad place :(

[Ryan Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give Corbyn a hug after reading this...

[Nuri]

Disheartening but interesting. The book strikes a good balance between understanding the horrendous pressure the Corbyn project was subject to, and frankly acknowledging its mistakes and failings.

[Sophie Cardinal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really insightful, helped me understand Corbynism better: the shortcomings and the positive legacy both it and Corbyn himself left. Demonstrates how the left is demonised. Provides a hopeful and real vision of the kind of world the left wants to see. It's definitely worth reading, I personally struggled with the level of detail and felt it could have been a shorter book. Nonetheless, I have always loved Owen Jones. He is a great advocate and commentator for the left.

[Lothario · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book covers all the key elements of the Corbyn era with great insight from key allies and opponents. The EU referendum, leadership election, anti-Semitism situation, and 2017 general election in great detail. However, the second leadership election, defection of Labour MPs and 2019 general election aren't covered in great detail. The book does jump about a lot between eras not following chronological order. Overall this was a good read and gives an understanding of the internal affairs of the Labour and agents within the Labour party actively working against his plans for a potential Labour government