Left-wing populism

Good to be here.

So we're talking today about, um, a subject very close to Bungacast hearts, which is probably the most, single most discussed subject on this podcast over its nine plus years of running, which is, of course, left populism.

Uh, the two guests we have today, Daniel and Varn, have a excellent short pamphlet, uh, 80 pages, called The People Are Not One: Socialist Strategy After Left Populism, which came out on Rebel Press in 2026.

Uh, and I'd encourage listeners to check that out, um, not least because it's short and punchy, uh, and very much, uh, to the point.

And if you listen to Bungacast, I am certain that you are interested in where the discussion is going on left populism now.

But I actually wanted to d- 'cause I think this follows on from what you were saying, Daniel.

Like the I think what the strategic, the key strategic question, or correct me if I'm wrong, this was my, my reading of the, of, of the pamphlet.

The key kind of question of strategy that you come up against, because the, you know, the book is called Socialist Strategy After Left, Left Populism, is, is about the role of our, our old friends on this, this podcast, the professional managerial class.

But from the institutional side, I would say it really cr- crystallized.

I talk a little bit about this, um, toward a, the, the le- a left populism N+1 editorial, which was really important for me.

It was like the intellectual situation with, with N+1.

And I would say this was a moment where N+1, I, I, you know, I've written about this before, kinda trying to find an identity.

Or it's pa- partially an explanation.

But I also think it, it...

They came up on this problem that I think was first articulated in this left populism thing, which was, which, which was actually much less programmatic than the later stuff.

They're like, "Can there actually be an intellectual populism? Can we as this group of elites from Harvard actually speak on behalf of the people?" And I think just to kind of, like, finish with that th- like, just that particular thought, it's like the thing that, that I think happened is over time, it, like, they, they couldn't.