Jeremy Corbyn's stunning transformation from perennial leftist rebel to leader of Britain's Labour Party upended British politics Saturday. The Corbyn victory represented an extraordinary rebuke to Labour's more centrist powers-that-be, especially to former prime minister Tony Blair, who had campaigned vigorously against Corbyn. But interventions from Blair and other party heavyweights apparently did little to halt Corbyn's momentum and may have even backfired. In a fiery victory speech, Corbyn vowed to combat society's grotesque inequality" and make Britain a more humane country. Corbyn has often bucked the Labour leadership on critical issues - including the vote to authorize the Iraq war - and his message resonated among Labour voters who believe their party has been reduced to a pale imitation of the Tories, especially as it lurched to the center under Blair. He has previously called for Britain to leave NATO, favors unilateral nuclear disarmament and champions the nationalization of vast sectors of the economy. He has also said that he will apologize on behalf of Labour for the Iraq invasion and that Blair could face war-crimes charges. In Britain ... voters on both ends of the spectrum are looking for alternatives to the traditional power-brokers. "This isn't just a leftist phenomenon. It's a populist phenomenon," [Queen Mary University professor Tim] Bale said. "It's the idea that voters are fed up with politics as usual and an elite that's compromised."