What does Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader mean for Greens in Britain and across the EU?

The author contends that while Jeremy Corbyn's leadership restores left-wing politics to the UK Labour Party, it does not eclipse the Green Party. The author distinguishes between the 'left-right' political spectrum and the 'ecology spectrum,' arguing that Corbyn's support for coal-mining in South Wales and airport expansion in London demonstrates a commitment to 'outdated grey politics' and economic growth that contradicts ecological necessity. The text suggests that the Green Party's unique value lies in prioritizing planetary boundaries and land reform over the 'unreconstructed socialist industrial productivism' associated with Corbyn and certain trade unions.

• The author distinguishes the 'ecology spectrum' (grey vs green) from the traditional 'left-right' spectrum, asserting that 'unreconstructed socialist industrial productivism' is as problematic as 'right-wing neoliberalism' regarding ecological impacts.
• Jeremy Corbyn's green credentials are undermined by his 'unquestioning commitment to growth' and specific policy positions, such as wanting to restart coal-mining in South Wales and expand airport capacity in London.
• The author identifies a tension within the left, noting that some of the trade unions supporting Corbyn, such as UNITE, favor London runway expansion and have not yet recognized the ecological crisis.
• Regarding the European Union, the author notes that Corbyn is likely to be more critical of a 'pro-corporate Europe' and the dominance of business lobbyists, which may challenge the Green Party to improve its own critique of the EU and agreements like TTIP.

APA

Read, R. (2015). What does Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader mean for Greens in Britain and across the EU? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/what-does-jeremy-corbyns-election-as-labour-leader-mean-for-greens-in-britain-and-across-the-eu/

Chicago

Read, Rupert. What does Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader mean for Greens in Britain and across the EU? Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/what-does-jeremy-corbyns-election-as-labour-leader-mean-for-greens-in-britain-and-across-the-eu/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Read |first1=Rupert |title=What does Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader mean for Greens in Britain and across the EU? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=15 September 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/what-does-jeremy-corbyns-election-as-labour-leader-mean-for-greens-in-britain-and-across-the-eu/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{read2015what, author = {Read, Rupert}, title = {{What does Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader mean for Greens in Britain and across the EU?}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/what-does-jeremy-corbyns-election-as-labour-leader-mean-for-greens-in-britain-and-across-the-eu/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }