Zohran Mamdani’s victory is a lesson for the UK – if we’re brave enough

By winning the Mayoralty of New York, Zohran Mamdani didn’t just beat a rival. 

The self-described Democratic Socialist beat an entire brand of centrist, steady-as-she-goes politics that implies voters are frightened little birds who can’t take harsh realities, espoused by his rival Andrew Cuomo. 

Instead, Cuomo and other centrist Democrats think people must be coaxed along with buzzwords and a tried and tested platform – something we see all too frequently in the UK, too.

Working on Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, I argued that voters wanted someone to ‘flip the f****ng table’. 

Not a polite nudge. Not a tidy technocratic tweak. A full-on cathartic reset. 

No one cared whether the table-flipper came from the right like Trump or the left like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Voters wanted an outsider – they just cared about change, because the whole damn system – from healthcare to cost of living and immigration to transport – wasn’t working for them.

It’s easy to run on fear and provocation, and just hope voters will fall in line. 

But Mamdani ran on something different: But Mamdani ran on something different: Hope, with a clear and present plan for change – and his win gives politicians on this side of the Atlantic a lesson, if they are bold enough to embrace it.

Make everyday life cheaper and easier, and do it like you mean it. 

Mamdani’s key pledges – homes people can actually afford, freezing rent, expanding tenants’ rights and free buses paid for by a hefty tax on the wealthy – spoke directly to New Yorkers’ lives.

That clarity delivered a major upset against a three-term governor and the incumbent mayor in the primary, then a sweeping victory in the general election. 

Unlike Cuomo, Mamdani named the villains, and was vocal in his opposition to them. 

He defined himself in open opposition to Trump. 

Now to the UK.

Labour’s message takes the theme of hope, and thoroughly rejects it. Their output lands like this: everything is grim – worse than we thought – and, by the way, taxes are probably going up.

Yes, they inherited a catastrophe from the Conservatives that included Brexit drag and Truss’s hangover, but that doesn’t make the doom-loop of managed decline we’re currently stuck in any easier to take. 

What Labour are sorely lacking is bold moves and clear delivery. Cheaper travel here, faster GP there, a flat they can actually rent. 

People will take hard truths if they can see the upside.

If you are honest and transparent with the public – even about something like tax increases – they’re more likely to be lenient.

What they won’t buy is ‘tighten your belt forever while we convene a working group’.

Look at Sadiq Khan. Whatever you think of him, bold moves have been his calling card for years – cleaner air, restored bus routes, a willingness to spend political capital and take the kicking.

Westminster, meanwhile, behaves like bravery is kryptonite, apparently blissfully unaware that voters reward leaders who pick a lane and deliver.

Take Trump. You might not like him, but he picked a lane and won.

Parties here will pick and choose what they take from Trump, pretending that proximity to him is savvy in spite of his unpopularity with the British public. 

Steve Reed’s cringe-inducing ‘Build, baby, build’ draws deeply on Trump rhetoric.

Reform copies his posture with a meme-ready ‘DOGE unit’, and Farage openly talks about replicating his administration.

But this is all posture, no plan. 

Can the UK learn from Zohran Mamdani’s political success in New York? Have your say belowComment Now

You don’t beat a bully by borrowing his catchphrases. You beat him by offering – and delivering – something better, sooner.

Many people are now wondering where we can find the British ‘Zohrans’ pitching themselves, rightly or wrongly, as home-grown versions.

Some might say Zack Polanski, Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s Your Party are the most obvious impersonators. 

Time will tell, but the glimmer of hope that comes with Mamdani’s success is only good news for them if they learn the right lesson.

And by the way, if you’re cheering Mamdani abroad while sneering at his equivalents at home, you might be part of the problem. 

Our great country does have hope and we’ll always have a bright future – you might just have to look a little harder for it right now.

It might be thousands of miles away, but this Labour Government can learn lessons from last night’s race. 

Be fiscally serious, emotionally optimistic and tell a compelling story. (At this stage, I’ll just accept any story beyond the unrelenting bleakness.

Start with talking like a person, then pick proofs people can touch within six months and move at pace.

Trains (which we invented, by the way!) are a mess. Renationalisation was promised and is being delivered, but now we’re told without cheaper fares, better reliability or more services.

Housing remains a national crisis, the NHS is still struggling, and the police are under-resourced. 

Fix all that – and be crystal about who pays and who benefits. 

I hope Labour can pull it off, but with a Budget preempted by storm clouds looming, I’m not convinced. 

Keir Starmer’s party is addicted to sounding sensible rather than being memorable. It mistakes quiet for calm, and calm for competence. Mamdani shows a different sequence: Be clear, be bold, deliver fast. The calm comes after that. 

If Labour keeps selling drizzle, they shouldn’t be surprised when voters look for sunshine, even if it comes with Farage-like thunder.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jessica.aureli@metro.co.uk. 

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