Past and present populism and protest in the Labour Party and New Democratic Party : comparisons and contrasts

Abstract

Recent election campaigns in several prominent liberal democracies have seen the rise to prominence of both right and left-wing populist candidates. While significant media and scholarly attention has focused on the former, this thesis examines the less studied but equally prevalent resurgence of left-wing populism through a comparative analysis of two populist movements in Britain and Canada, Momentum and Leap, that are respectively associated with, and have served to challenge, the British Labour Party and the Canadian New Democratic Party. My thesis poses the question: which movement will be more successful and why? Through a social movement-inspired analysis, and an examination of historical and contemporary primary and secondary resources, including pivotal manifestos, I content that, despite these two left-wing parties’ commonalities, important differences rest on the preeminent ideas and identities in each country that shape the corresponding political organizations that they have produced. A study of the divergent ideas and identities that influence these party institutions across time, serves to support my conclusion that Momentum is more likely to have a lasting impact in Britain, as compared to Leap in Canada.