Vla France? What do you reckon? Pretty good? No? In the last few years the far right have been on what seems

I could unstoppable march across Europe and beyond. Take your pick guys, being pretty bleak. Germany, let's be honest, not a country which has

come to turn into this past. The AFD, the far right, are in second place. In Italy, the

heirs to Benito Mussolini run the place.

In Austria, they're on course to win the election later this year.

Spain and Portugal seem to be immune to the far-right epidemic for a long time,

but then far-right parties emerged there with big support as well.

And so it proved for France as well.

The Far Right National Rally have surged under their figurehead,

Marine Le Ben, and the poll suggested they were on course to win the legislative

elections this weekend. This did not happen. Instead they came third. Oopsy Daisy. They were defeated by a left-wing alliance which came first, whose most prominent figurehead is the radical leftist Jean-Luc Melanchon.

Now for a British audience, this alliance was a bit like Jeremy Corbyn, Allied to the Green Party and

Ed Miliband. Now the program they stood on was unashamedly social

democratic. In contrast it must be said to Kie a clear Starmers offer here in the UK,

including taxing the rich, public investment, reversing attacks on pensions,

hiking public sector wages, and so on.

Now as we'll discuss, this is not a time for complacency, but there are huge

lessons in France for Britain and beyond. What is frankly beyond galling is watching

centrist types in Britain try and claim this victory as their own and as a victory for

Emmanuel Macron himself. One former busy journalist is treated about the result

an absolutely huge shock and delight from Macron who can argue his gamble paid off.

To which I respond, WTF.

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