How Left Wing Is Jeremy Corbyn Actually?

Jeremy Corbyn. (Alastair Grant / AP)

The recently elected head of the U.K. Labour Party has been called a “threat to national security” by British Prime Minister David Cameron and “old-fashioned” by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. But there’s something these establishment politicians are not revealing: Most of the British public actually agrees with his progressive positions on a variety of issues.

From The Independent:

Putting railways back into public sector ownership has cross-party support, with even Conservative supporters divided evenly over the issue – 42 per cent back renationalising the railways; 42 per cent oppose it.

Labour party policy under a Jeremy Corbyn leadership would support the renationalisation of the railways, which has overwhelming support from the public.

Mr Corbyn says he wants to bring back the 50% tax rate, which applied to those paid £150,000 (roughly the top 1 per cent of earners).

He’s also said he would be in favour of going higher if it meant raising more money. Is there a public appetite for this? There may be: YouGov polling found 56 per cent of the public support a 75 per cent top rate of tax similar to that proposed by France’s Francois Hollande, with only 31 per cent opposed.