Only a bold and resolute Left can defeat the far right
Interview with Jeremy Corbyn, Mayukh Biswas and Nikhil Mathew
What are your most memorable moments with the left leaders in India such as comrade Jyoti Basu?
I have fond memories meeting Jyoti finally in Calcutta when I visited in 1986, but also of entertaining him to tea in parliament with Tony Benn, and later in another visit presenting him with his police records from the 1930s at the British Library; where we bound a volume together of all the police notes on the rallies he attended in pursuit of Indian independence. He was an incredibly informative man. I learned a great deal from him, and Tony Benn and myself always looked forward to his book-binding visits in London.
How do you see the rise of the far right in Europe?
The far-right has been rising across Europe, both on the streets and inside parliaments. We often focus on far-right parties, but we should also pay attention to the so-called mainstream parties that have empowered them. In the UK, for example, recent far-right violence hasn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from mainstream politicians who demonise refugees and fail to stand up against anti-migrant rhetoric. When they say refugees should be “sent back to where they came from”, the far right listen. When they complain about asylum seekers staying in hotels, the far right listen.
It’s a similar story across Europe: governments of all stripes have upheld a violent system of barbed wire and gunboats. Germany’s Social Democratic Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, recently decided to restrict welfare for asylum seekers and accelerate deportations. A month later, Macron’s party followed suit in France. Earlier this year, Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis bragged that they had ‘succeeded in managing migration through a tough but fair migration policy’ — a tough but fair policy that resulted in the death of more than 500 people, including 100 children, when a boat sank off the Greek coast last year.
These policies have consequences. It tells people that refugees are the enemy. They aren’t – they are desperate people just trying to survive. The far-right have risen all across Europe because so-called moderate governments ad parties have moved ever close to the Right. Governments who embrace anti-migrant rhetoric do not neutralise the far-right — they embolden them.
Don’t concede ground to those who sow division and fear. Build a confident movement from the Left that unites people based on inclusion and redistribution. That is how you defeat the far right.
How can this rise of ultra right wing be countered?
Only a bold and resolute Left can defeat the far right. Over the past 40 years, I have seen politicians from all parties pit workers and refugees against each other. Many claim to speak for the working class. So why don’t they speak for refugees who have escaped economic destitution, or migrants in low-paid and precarious employment? Pitting them against white people who share similar economic conditions helps nobody, other than those at the top who benefit from division.
We need to counter messages of division with a message of unity instead. We must give people who are disillusioned with the existing political system a reason to believe in something different, and a programme that helps us unite people against the root causes of their grievances: inequality and corporate greed. One that tackles the issues facing us all: the housing crisis, the collapse of our NHS and the disaster of privatisation. One that gives hope to all communities that a fairer society is possible. We will only defeat a politics of fear and division with a politics of hope!
France came close to electing a far-right government, where it not for a bold and insurgent Left with the confidence to offer a more hopeful alternative. Ultimately, France’s extraordinary election results provide an urgent, valuable lesson. Don’t concede ground to those who sow division and fear. Build a confident movement from the Left that unites people based on inclusion and redistribution. That is how you defeat the far right.
Where are the alternatives coming from?
I am very proud to be part of an Independent Alliance in Parliament – elected to provide an alternative to hatred and division. Recently, we all signed a statement in opposition to a far-right march in London on October 26th. We reject a politics of hatred that targets marginalised communities and obstructs the real solutions to the challenges we face. Attacking Muslims and blaming migrants won’t build homes, educate children, fund healthcare or climate crisis. We are in Parliament to provide that alternative – one that redistributes wealth and builds a society that cares for everybody.
How can progressive sections of Indian society work within the broader democratic movement here to address the issues facing them?
I’ve always been pleased to work with the Indian Workers’ Association (IWA), and I first met them in 1971 in Telford, Shropshire, when we formed a joint campaign with the Young Socialists to oppose the Immigration Act at the time. We organised a hunger strike in Wellington to show our solidarity with all families affected by the immigration proposals, which brought in an essentially racist immigration strategy based on male lineage. Ever since then, we’ve worked with them and admired the IWA for their anti-racist work, and their willing preparedness to join in wider campaigns for social justice in Britain. I look forward to working with Indian students and the IWA with the Peace and Justice Project in the future.
Elections in America is ahead. Is it possible to defeat Trump, Republicans? The role of the Palestine question is crucial. What are Bernie Sanders, Ocasio Cortez saying?
Of course it is possible to defeat the divisive and dangerous politics of Trump. The best way is to inspire people to vote for a bold, hopeful alternative based in inclusion, democracy and peace. Kamala Harris should, first of all, pledge to end arms sales to Israel. This would not just be the most strategic thing to do. It would be the moral thing to do. The US government is complicit in the mass slaughter of Palestinians, and ordinary people are utterly disgusted in its refusal to defend the equal value of all human life.
Regarding Palestine- how can you build a global Solidarity movement?
Our movement for Palestine is not new. It stands on the shoulders of those who know what it’s like to stand up to apartheid. Opposing apartheid in South Africa from Parliament often felt lonely. It never felt lonely in Islington. I remember Islington Council getting into trouble for flying the ANC flag in the 1980s. They were ahead of their time. So, too, were the International Defence and Aid fund for South Africa, based on Essex Road, which financed defence lawyers for south African political detainees.
We cannot forget this valuable lesson about the importance of international solidarity. Today, one particularly good example of global solidarity is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Millions of people around the world care deeply about human rights, the environment, and justice. BDS campaigns have been applied throughout history to put pressure on governments, institutions and companies with records of discrimination and human rights abuses. Our movement for peace is made up of all communities, all faiths and all languages, united in a solidarity with marginalised and occupied people.
As a long term friend with India what will be your observation on the democratic federal movements in India?
India is an enormous country with a huge diversity of culture, languages and traditions. And obviously hugely affected by the British colonial period. Democracy requires free speech, the right of assembly, and the development of political education particularly among young people. It was my pleasure to be in India last year in Mumbai with the International Transport Federation and used the opportunity to have a number of meetings with a number of Trade Unions, but particular the rail workers and their campaign to protect workers’ rights and pension rights. It is working-class solidarity across India that is so important, and I look forward to building relationships with all the Trade Unions across India
Mr Jeremy Corbyn is an Independent MP for Islington North, UK. Mayukh Biswas is the General Secretary of the Students’ Federation of India. Nikhil Mathew is the Secretary of SFI United Kingdom.