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Labor must offer more than management to beat the far right

As Zohran Mamdani has shown in New York, voters will back bold progressive politics when it delivers on rents, services and the cost of living.

Emeline Gaske Emeline is the national secretary of the Australian Services Union.
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As Zohran amdani has shown in New York, Labor can beat populism by proving government is willing to fight for working communities, argues Emeline Gaske. Camara Porter/AdMedia/Sipa USA.

Keir Starmer resigned last month as UK prime minister after historically low approval ratings and the rise of the far right placed such intense political pressure on his leadership that he ultimately decided to step down.

His departure is a lesson for everyone fighting for a better future built on Labor values. It would be a mistake to see it as only a British story.

When progressive parties fail to offer a compelling vision for how life will improve under the governments they lead, people go looking for radical alternatives.

Whether it is Donald Trump in the United States, Nigel Farage in the United Kingdom or Pauline Hanson here at home, the pattern is unmistakable.

Ideas is where we publish opinion and analysis from external contributors on the most important topics in the new economy.