Capitalism Is Cozying Up to Britain’s Most Powerful Socialists

It says a lot about the turbulent state of British politics these days that one of the most sought-after invitations in business circles is tea with a man who owns a copy of Chairman Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book and lists “fomenting the overthrow of capitalism” as one of his main interests.

John McDonnell, a stalwart of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, has met with dozens of chief executives, fund managers, and bankers in the past six months, the party says. McDonnell, who serves as chancellor of the exchequer in Labour’s shadow cabinet, has also accepted an invitation to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual get-together in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, which gets under way on Jan. 23. Next on his agenda: a meeting with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in London.