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• Wed Nov 5 2025

British left-wingers overjoyed by Mamdani's victory in New York

The election of a new mayor in New York city is rarely big news in the UK, but Zohran Mamdani's victory is generating a lot of attention, particularly on the left of British politics.

"This is what socialist representation looks like," posted a jubilant Zarah Sultana, alongside a picture of her with Mamdani.

The former Labour MP is in the process of forming a new left-wing party with Jeremy Corbyn, who will also be celebrating the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist's victory.

Corbyn, a former Labour leader, hosted a phone bank on Sunday evening to "get the vote out" for Mamdani, posing with a "North London 4 Zohran" Arsenal football shirt. The two are both fans of the club.

Mamdani's policies, such taxing the rich, universal free childcare and freezing rents, are in tune with Corbyn and Sultana's brand of socialism and he shares a record of pro-Palestinian activism with his British allies.

But the fact that Mamdani took on and beat the centrist old guard in his own party, defeating Andrew Cuomo, a former Democratic New York governor, who was forced to run as independent, will also be a morale boost for left-wingers no longer welcome in the Labour fold.

In a statement Your Party - the holding name for the new Corbyn and Sultana party - said: "Zohran's historic victory demonstrates that the old politics of the centre is bankrupt and a new socialist politics can take its place."

They added: "We will build that politics and that alternative here in Britain, too."