The left-wing machine of Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani has claimed a stunning victory in New York's Democratic primaries. His slate of candidates, running on a platform of decolonisation and defunding the police, routed the local party establishment. But don't expect this scene to play out in the UK. Here's why.
Mamdani's operation is a classic political machine. He has a network of loyal activists, a clear ideological line, and the willingness to purge dissenters. Candidates who sign up are expected to toe the line. It's a model that has worked in New York's hyper-localised politics, where low turnout and activist energy can swing elections.
Westminster is a different beast. Our system is built on strong party discipline and national campaigns. Local parties still matter, but the grip of the central machine is formidable. A candidate running on a platform that contradicts the national leadership would face deselection, not a career path.
The second factor is the nature of our left. In the US, the left has found a new energy around identity politics and anti-colonialism. The UK left, by contrast, is fractured. Labour under Starmer is a coalition of Blairites, soft-left types, and a diminished Corbynite faction. There is no single thinker with the influence of Mamdani.
Thirdly, our electoral system. First-past-the-post in the US primary system allows insurgents to win with as little as 20 per cent of the vote in a crowded field. In the UK, the path to power is through a party machine. You don't get to stand for Labour unless the party says so.
But the most important difference is structural. The UK has no equivalent of the 'superdelegate' system that gave Mamdani's candidates an external boost. Labour's affiliated unions, while left-leaning, are not a monolithic force.
So while the headlines from New York are dramatic, they are a tale for another land. UK politics remains a game of cautious manoeuvring within the established order. For now.
The question is how long that can hold. The forces that powered Mamdani's victory – a disaffected youth, economic anxiety, and a turn away from traditional liberalism – are global. They are lurking in the safe seats of Labour and Tory heartlands.
My sources in the Lobby are watching. They know that a similar insurgency could be sparked by a single issue or a charismatic figure. But they also know that the machine is stronger here. For now.
