Jeremy Corbyn is launching a new hard-Left party to fight Labour across Britain and oppose the “genocide” in Gaza, one of his allies, Zarah Sultana MP, has announced – but is the man himself on board? The Telegraph has the story.
Zarah Sultana, who resigned from Labour on Thursday, announced that she will co-lead the new party with the former Labour leader, who was expelled by Sir Keir Starmer five years ago.
Mr Corbyn was yet to comment publicly on Ms Sultana’s announcement as of Friday morning.
The new party is as yet unnamed, but Ms Sultana said it would comprise other independent MPs, along with campaigners and activists.
It raises the prospect of a split on the Left that mirrors the divide between Reform UK and the Conservatives on the Right.
A recent poll found that a new Left-wing party could win 10% of the vote in a blow to Labour, which would be tied with the Conservatives on 20%.
Announcing the move, Ms Sultana said the next election would be a choice between “socialism or barbarism”.
The Coventry South MP said the new party would be fighting against the sort of benefit cuts Sir Keir tried and failed to get through the Commons last week, and speak out against what she described as the “genocide” in Gaza.
The announcement could pile further pressure on Sir Keir to move to the Left, just days after he was forced to make a humiliating U-turn on welfare cuts. A total of 49 of his own MPs rejected the plans, which would have seen the number of people able to access disability benefits slashed.
Ms Sultana and Mr Corbyn will hope that many Labour supporters who also opposed Sir Keir’s plans will flock to join his party.
In a message on X, Ms Sultana said she had resigned from Labour after 14 years, adding: “Jeremy and I will co-lead the founding of a new party, with other independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country.
“A year ago I was suspended by the Labour Party for voting to abolish the two-child benefit cap and lift 400,000 children out of poverty. I’d do it again. I voted against scrapping winter fuel payments for pensioners. I’d do it again.
“Now the Government wants to make disabled people suffer – they just can’t decide how much.”
Ms Sultana attacked Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, saying: “A billionaire-based grifter is leading the polls because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.
“And across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists. But the truth is clear – this Government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it. We are not going to take this any more.”
Ms Sultana went on to criticise Sir Keir’s speech last month on immigration, in which he said Britain risked becoming an “island of strangers”.
She added: “We’re not an island of strangers – we’re an island that’s suffering. We need homes and lives we can actually afford, not rip-off bills we pay every month to a tiny elite bathing in cash. We need our money spent on public services, not forever wars.
“In 2029, the choice will be stark – socialism or barbarism. Billionaires already have three parties fighting for them. It’s time the rest of us had one. Join us. The time is now.”
The message on X contained a link to a page where people could join “Team Zarah”.
Mr Corbyn, the independent MP for Islington North who led Labour from 2015 to 2020, had not yet made a similar announcement.
Later on Thursday night, claims emerged that he had not agreed to join the new party.
BBC Newsnight reported that Ms Sultana had held talks with Mr Corbyn’s Independent Alliance – a group of five independent MPs – earlier this week.
The idea of having co-leaders for the new party was apparently discussed, but Mr Corbyn was said to have not been receptive to the idea.
Gabriel Pogrund, a journalist for the Sunday Times, reported that Mr Corbyn had not yet agreed to join the party with Ms Sultana and he was “furious and bewildered” that the new electoral vehicle was being launched without his say so.
Politico reported “Real Change” had been mooted as a possible name for the new movement but nothing had been decided.
Seems the People’s Front of Gaza has fallen out with the Gazan People’s Front even before launch. A new record for the Left?
Worth reading in full.
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