explore words discover worlds
explore words discover worlds
Bradford Literature Festival
Poetry for the Many: Jeremy Corbyn & Len McCluskey
51 minutes Posted Sep 10, 2025 at 1:00 am.
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Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey share a passionate belief in a fairer, more equal Britain, encapsulated in Labour’s 2017 election slogan ‘For the many, not the few’. This slogan, inspired by Shelley’s famous poem The Masque of Anarchy, points to something else the two men have in common: a lifelong enthusiasm for poetry.

Their selected poems travel over centuries and continents, with poets ranging from William Blake to Emily Dickinson, and Stevie Smith to Linton Kwesi Johnson. Featuring guest selections from the likes of Rob Delaney, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Ken Loach, Maxine Peake, Michael Rosen, Alexei Sayle, and Gary Younge.

Join Corbyn and McCluskey as they discuss the poems that continue to inspire them in their political careers.