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Jeremy Corbyn has stated that “discussions are ongoing” following former Labour MP Zarah Sultana’s announcement that she is leaving the party to co-found a new left-wing political entity with him.
The former Labour leader commended Sultana for her “principled decision” to resign and expressed his “delight that she will help us build a real alternative”.
He affirmed that “the democratic foundations of a new kind of political party will soon take shape” but refrained from specifying who would lead the organization.
Underground discussions have reportedly been underway for some time to transform the small group of independent, pro-Gaza MPs coordinated by Corbyn into a formal political party capable of fielding candidates in next year’s local elections.
However, sources speaking to the BBC indicated that the leadership question and the precise timing of the announcement remained unresolved when Sultana made her declaration on Thursday evening.
Reportedly, some individuals involved in the project advocated for a democratic conference to determine the leadership role.
While several Labour MPs on the party’s left wing have voiced their support for Sultana, none have yet indicated their intention to join the new venture.
Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth, remarked on the BBC’s World at One program: “Perhaps she thinks she hasn’t left the Labour party, but the Labour party has left her.”
He continued, “People are really fed up of the two party system with regards to Labour and with regards to Conservatives.”
“And I think that there is a huge appetite for a left wing alternative to the two mainstream parties.”
Responding to Sultana’s decision, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the MP had “always taken a very different view” from the Labour government on various matters.
Defending the government, she cited declining NHS waiting times, the deployment of additional neighborhood police officers, and the expansion of free school meals as examples of “real changes that have a real impact on people’s lives.”
Sultana was previously suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party last year for voting against the government and supporting a motion to abolish the two-child benefit cap, but had maintained her party membership until this week.
In a social media post, she sharply criticized the government’s positions on Gaza and the welfare bill, which underwent a vote earlier this week.
Six other Labour MPs were suspended concurrently; while four have since been reinstated, Sultana, Apsana Begum, and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell remain suspended.
Sources have informed the BBC that McDonnell, a close ally of Corbyn, will not be involved in the proposed new party.
Corbyn, who himself was suspended from the Labour Party in 2020, initially did not comment on Sultana’s announcement or confirm his own participation.
In a statement released on Friday, he wrote: “One year on from the election, this Labour Government has refused to deliver the change people expected and deserved.”
“Poverty, inequality and war are not inevitable. Our country needs to change direction, now.”
“Congratulations to Zarah Sultana on her principled decision to leave the Labour Party. I am delighted that she will help us build a real alternative.”
“The democratic foundations of a new kind of political party will soon take shape. Discussions are ongoing – and I am excited to work alongside all communities to fight for the future people deserve.”
“Together, we can create something that is desperately missing from our broken political system: hope.”
Following his expulsion from the Labour Party, Corbyn successfully ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 general election and has since established an alliance with four other independent MPs who share similar views on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Sources indicate to the BBC that these MPs would form the nucleus of any new party.
Speaking to GB News’ Chopper’s Political Podcast, former Corbyn advisor Andrew Murray said discussions about a new party had been going on “since Jeremy Corbyn was kicked out of the Labour Party” but they were “turbocharged by Keir Starmer’s response to the crisis in Gaza”.
He said the name of the party would be chosen by members but added that The Collective and Arise have been bandied about.
He predicted the new party would immediately get 100,000 members and 10% in the polls with more to come as an election approached.
Asked if the new party would go ahead, he replied: “It will happen – 60-70%. Probably within the next three or four months.”
Despite securing a substantial majority in the 2024 general election, Sir Keir Starmer has occasionally encountered difficulties in maintaining control over his own MPs.
Earlier this week, his government secured a preliminary vote on its welfare bill, but despite making significant last-minute concessions, it still experienced a rebellion from 49 of its own MPs.
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