James Schneider on the Greens, Mandelson and Labour’s future

About this interview

James Schneider, Head of Communications at Progressive International, co-founder of Momentum, and former Director of Strategic Communications for Jeremy Corbyn, on the Green Party’s win in Gorton and Denton, the Mandelson controversy, and the future of the Labour Party. We start with what the Greens’ victory means for the party under Zack Polanski, and whether they can become a serious anti-systemic force by building a coalition of asset-poor working-class voters, downwardly mobile graduates and racialised communities. Schneider draws the line between winning elections and building real political power. We then turn to Peter Mandelson’s documented proximity to Jeffrey Epstein and the questions it raises about lobbying, corporate influence and elite networks, Schneider argues the issue is structural, not solved by resignations. Finally we examine the so-called soft left in Labour, whether a meaningful centre-left faction still exists, and reflect on the 2017 and 2019 manifestos, grassroots organising, and trade unions.