Pinch yourself. The Labour Party has elected a socialist as its leader. Not a “socialist” in inverted commas — an actual, bonafide old-school reformist socialist opposed to austerity, inequality, and war and in favor of nationalization, rent controls, and radical wealth redistribution.

Indeed Jeremy Corbyn is almost certainly the most left-wing leader in party history.

This is an extraordinary development — not least because, up until a few weeks ago, pretty much everyone was agreed that the Labour left was an exhausted force. Certainly no one foresaw the groundswell of mass support that Corbyn’s campaign picked up after it launched in June, much less the thumping majority that he achieved — winning with 59.5 percent of the vote.