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Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana have officially launched a new, unnamed political party, which they say will "build a democratic movement that can take on the rich and powerful." The move has sent ripples through the British political establishment and could pose a significant challenge to a stumbling Labour Party. The new party, co-founded with Sultana, has been met with a surge of public interest, with more than 600,000 people registering as supporters within a week. A recent Find Out Now poll suggested the new party could garner as much as 15% of the vote, placing it on par with Labour and behind only Reform UK and the Conservatives.
Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted that Labour is "vulnerable to the left," but cautioned the new party's success hinges on its ability to get organized and build a coherent platform. The party, which has been using the interim name "Your Party" on its website, has not yet decided on its permanent name or leadership structure, with this to be determined at a founding conference later this year. The party's strategy includes attracting disillusioned Labour MPs, pitching to them that they can either stick with Sir Keir Starmer's Labour and risk losing their seats, or join the new movement and save their political careers. A number of constituencies and sitting MPs, including members of the Socialist Campaign Group like Ian Lavery and Ian Byrne, have reportedly been identified as potential targets. The party is also said to be targeting senior Labour figures like Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood, whose majorities were cut in the last election by pro-Gaza candidates, an issue the new party hopes to capitalize on.
The new party is a joint venture with the Independent Alliance, a parliamentary group of six MPs including Corbyn and Sultana, who all share similar anti-austerity and pro-Gaza stances. Its broad policy objectives, as laid out in a joint statement, include a "mass redistribution of wealth and power," nationalization of key industries, and a commitment to a "free and independent Palestine."
According to updated information, the party’s website has now surpassed 700,000 sign-ups, including over 23,000 in Wales. It has also attracted the backing of around 200 local council members and has announced its first councilor to defect from Labour. The inaugural founding conference is set for "mid-autumn" to decide on the party's name, policies, and leadership. Before the conference, a series of meetings will be held across the country, particularly in areas with high sign-up rates like Liverpool.
The party is positioning itself as a left-wing alternative to Labour. While Green Party leadership candidate Zack Polanski has expressed openness to working with the new party, Corbyn has been cautious, stating the Greens are "not a socialist organization." Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has criticized the new party, suggesting it will only help Nigel Farage's Reform UK and the Conservative Party. Despite the challenges, the early signs of public support and the potential to lure away disaffected Labour MPs suggest that Jeremy Corbyn's new venture could be a force to be reckoned with in an increasingly fractured political landscape.
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