Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn

Left Out chronicles the inner workings of the UK Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership from 2015-2020. The book draws on extensive interviews with key figures and insider accounts to document the conflicts, decisions and power struggles that shaped this period in British politics. Times journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire provide detailed reporting on pivotal moments including leadership contests, electoral campaigns, and internal party battles. Their account covers both public events and previously unreported conversations and meetings that influenced Labour's direction. The authors trace how competing ideological visions, personality clashes, and structural tensions affected Labour's operations and electoral prospects. Sources from across the party's factions contribute perspectives on controversial policies, strategic choices, and organizational changes. This book offers insights into how political movements navigate between radical change and institutional constraints, and what happens when different wings of a party struggle for control. The narrative raises broader questions about the nature of opposition politics and institutional reform in modern democracies.

Readers found the book provided detailed insider accounts of Labour Party dynamics during Corbyn's leadership, based on extensive interviews with staffers and MPs. Liked: - Comprehensive sourcing and access to key figures - Balanced coverage of both pro and anti-Corbyn perspectives - Clear explanations of internal party conflicts - Behind-the-scenes details of key moments and decisions Disliked: - Some readers felt it focused too heavily on internal drama over policy - A few noted potential bias against Corbyn's leadership - Structure could be confusing for those unfamiliar with UK politics - Several mentioned redundant anecdotes Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (124 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.3/5 (283 reviews) Notable Reader Comments: "Reveals the dysfunction but doesn't take sides" - Amazon reviewer "Too much focus on personality clashes" - Goodreads user "Best account of the period, despite some clear anti-Corbyn leanings" - Guardian reader comment

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🔸 The book reveals that Labour staffers secretly funneled party funds into Facebook ads to promote candidates they preferred, rather than focusing on Jeremy Corbyn's campaign messaging during the 2017 election. 🔸 Both authors were in their mid-twenties when they wrote the book, with Gabriel Pogrund working as a journalist at The Sunday Times and Patrick Maguire at The Times. 🔸 The authors conducted over 100 interviews with key Labour Party figures for the book, including shadow cabinet members, trade union leaders, and former staff members. 🔸 The book details how Jeremy Corbyn's team discovered through a TV news report that he had been suspended from the Labour Party in 2020, rather than being informed directly. 🔸 During the period covered by the book, Labour membership grew to become the largest political party in Western Europe, with over 500,000 members at its peak under Corbyn's leadership.