Even with the disappointment, it was all very exciting, wasn’t it? After months of political debate and posturing, the darned Tories surged to victory in May and down fell the opposition leaders one by one – Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage and Ed Miliband all gone within a day. Nigel Farage’s miraculous resurrection a few days later provided a bit of light relief to those of us feeling down about the Conservative victory and then it was just Labour and the Lib Dems who were left to elect a brand new, shiny-suited leader.

And then, no doubt most of us switched off and forgot all about it. We were all backpacking across south-east Asia, starting summer jobs or lying on our sofas, pining for May Balls and garden parties and thinking “Gosh! Summer’s awfully long, isn’t it?”

It was therefore with great surprise that I tuned back into the political debate and realised that it was neither Andy Burnham, nor Yvette Cooper who was leading the opinion polls for the Labour leadership role, but experienced socialist stalwart Jeremy Corbyn. With his “down with the monarchy” talk and anti-austerity measures, he offers something distinctly different to Cameron and co.: the election-time excitement is back.

The appeal is obvious – an optimistic brand of politics designed to counter years of Osborne-led cuts and deficit control – and the reaction has been overwhelming. Thousands have flocked to Corbyn’s publicity events; British politics finally seems to be offering a political debate to inspire young people.

Looking at Corbyn with his ruffled, bearded appearance and warm, dulcet tones he resembles a slimmed-down, socialist Santa Claus, carrying a sac full of anti-austerity economic plans, free child-care and an end to tuition fees. He offers hope to young people and, with votes now being cast, looks certain to sweep to victory.

Yet, although I admire his ambition and agree with many of his policies, like the sceptic that I am, I’m left questioning the feasibility of Corbynomics. His plans to fund public investment and public services rely, in part, on the Bank of England printing more cash, a solution which even amateur economists like myself know will result in further inflation. Moreover, despite the excitement we feel for his policies, we also need to remember that Corbyn must prise votes away from the Tories and that requires a conciliatory personality, not a provocative one.

Yet Corbyn’s anti-austerity promises have served to sort the socialist wheat from the rightist chaff. As Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall declare themselves unprepared to work alongside Corbyn as a potential leader, Burnham’s willingness to work either beneath or above him, and champion anti-austerity measures, marks him out as a potential compromise; someone who can enact social change but still attract wavering Tory voters.

For one thing, I like Andy Burnham. He’s a normal guy; were it not for the unfortunate Balls-Miliband connotations of the term, I would go so far as to call him a steady-Eddie, a realist compromise between the idealist politics of Corbyn and the privileged, uncompassionate Bullingdon boys. Yes, he is Cambridge-educated (he studied English at Fitzwilliam) and his subsequent career path into politics have led some to christen him with that most-resented of titles: “a career politician”. Yet his upbringing in a working-class Liverpool family and his state-school education suggest an awareness of issues faced by normal people. And, as far as I am aware, he’s perfectly capable of eating a bacon sandwich.

As Neil Kinnock stated recently, “Labour mustn’t settle for angry opposition, but choose a future Prime Minister.” Despite the fact that centre-left politics fails to ignite the imagination, it can achieve positive social change. The dangerous radicalisation of recent years, which has seen the rise of UKIP, does not need to be responded to in kind by the left, but rather managed by moderate social democrats such as Burnham. His plans for the economy promise sustainable growth achieved through respect for business and avoiding the massive tax rises envisioned by Corbyn. Not so different from Cameron, Osbourne and the rest, you say? Maybe so, yet for me Burnham’s commitment to creating a more equal society, from policies which will tackle combat climate change (something severely lacking under the Tories) to remaining in the European Union, make him an appealing choice. Judging by the widespread hatred for UKIP which surfaced amongst the student body in May, I would guess that I am not alone in supporting a pro-European stance. Corbyn’s scepticism towards the EU, on the other hand, which mirrors that of the similarly radical anti-austerity politicians of Greece and Spain, is worrying. Burnham’s ambitions to work with the EU on issues such as migration - achieving compensation payments for communities accommodating large numbers of European migrants, for example - demonstrates the progressive, humane mentality of a potential Labour Prime Minister; something which, going by his recent “swarm” comments, Cameron appears to lack.

With applications now closed to join the party, I would be very surprised if Corbyn is not elected leader. And, come 2020, I will cast aside my doubts and vote for him along with the vast majority of young Britons. However, I believe Burnham can attract more broad-based support, and thus offers us a more realistic chance of having a Labour Prime Minister in 5 years' time.