Jeremy Corbyn: A Life in Politics: Reflections from the Backbenches to Downing Street's Door

Jeremy Corbyn is coming to The Old Market on Sunday 11 October, as part of the Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival. It's a candid conversation with one of the most consequential figures in British politics, and the talk is followed by a Q&A session where he'll take questions from the room.

For context, Corbyn led the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 and has represented Islington North as a Labour MP since 1983, making him one of the longest-serving members of his generation. He spent the Blair and Brown years as a consistent left-wing voice on the backbenches before being elected leader in a landslide membership vote. His 2017 general election campaign produced a swing that denied Theresa May her majority, and after the 2019 defeat he stood down as leader. From there, he was suspended and eventually had the whip removed by the Labour Party, before standing as an independent in Islington North in 2024 and winning, defeating the Labour candidate.

Festival organiser Marc Rattray describes him as one of British politics' most consequential figures, and the talk is framed as a personal reckoning over the arc of his political life rather than a policy platform. He remains one of the most in-demand political speakers in the country, so this is a rare chance to hear him talk through his own career in person.

The session runs from 16:20 to 17:30, with doors opening at 16:00, so you've got a bit of time to get settled before it kicks off. Standard tickets are £20.00, and the whole thing takes place at The Old Market, 11A Upper Market St, Brighton and Hove, BN3 1AS.