Latest news with #Sultana
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Is Jeremy Corbyn's new party the fastest-growing political force in Britain?
To the consternation of their many critics, the new party launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana claims it has already signed up some 500,000 supporters. This makes them bigger and faster-growing than any other UK political grouping – and recalls the heady days of a decade ago when a surge of new members made Corbyn the most improbable leader of the Labour Party in its history. Even so, success is still far from assured. What's the latest? Well, the recruitment is cracking along and polling for the embryonic party is also encouraging; one in six British voters, according to YouGov, say they are likely to consider voting for a new left-wing party led by Corbyn. After all, he did manage to score 40 per cent at the 2017 general election, more than any Labour leader since Tony Blair (albeit deflating to 32 per cent in 2019). Sultana, the self-declared co-leader (some say that Corbyn seems uncomfortable with the title), has given an interview to Novara explaining her reasons for leaving Labour, which include, she says, its 'austerity' policies and support for Israel over the war in Gaza. She declared it a 'dead' party, morally and electorally. The hostility between her and the Labour leadership is palpable, if not surprising: 'Keir Starmer said: 'Well, if you don't like it, leave.' So I did, and Jeremy and I – along with millions of others – are going to build something new and different. And they are rattled.' Has the new party got a name yet? No. 'Your Party' was a working title, and not a great one for web search, and Sultana says she has an alternative: 'I think it should be called 'The Left' or 'The Left Party', because it says what it is on the tin. That is something I will be pitching.' That might also not work so well on Google. Corbyn's first grouping after he left Labour was called the 'Peace & Justice Project'. A public vote to decide the name is an option, although that could mean these serious socialists urge people to back a Votey McVoteface government. Independent Alliance is one label for the loose parliamentary association. What's going well? A certain amount of momentum, reflecting some of the excitement the original Momentum movement once had. It may not be a surprise that James Schneider, the founder of Momentum and a former Corbyn adviser, is now reportedly involved in the new party. They've now got six MPs in their Independent Alliance grouping, including a number from areas with a relatively large Muslim and/or younger population where Labour's stance on the war in Gaza has proved a negative for the party. Votes for 16 and 17-year-olds might also prove a small help. Apart from some useful geographical concentrations of support, they also attract people who've tended to defect from Labour to the Greens since Starmer took over. Corbyn, love him or hate him, has got name recognition, a strong populist instinct, and seemingly inexhaustible reserves of self-confidence. As, indeed, does Sultana. Elections in Scotland and Wales under a partly proportional system next May, and successive rounds of local elections in the big cities, where pockets of support can get councillors in, will also see new Sultana-Corbynites elected. In some places, local politics might get unhealthily polarised, if not communalised, between Reform and the Corbynites. Who are they hurting? Greens have most to lose, followed by Labour, followed by Reform (because protest voters don't have to be consistent, just angry). Angela Rayner, Shabana Mahmood and Wes Streeting are just three of the more prominent MPs vulnerable to a Corbynite revival. Multi-party politics will probably be quite chaotic electorally next time round. What could go wrong? A majority muslim base is not necessarily consistent with a general wish to be socially progressive on, for example, LGBT+ rights. A similar debate has been going on in the Green Party, with such issues raised by Mothin Ali, a prominent Green activist and councillor in Leeds. Adnan Hussain, independent MP for Blackburn, remarked: 'I'm following this dilemma being faced by Mothin with great interest. It's no secret that Muslims tend to be socially conservative. Is there space on the left to create a broad enough church to allow Muslims an authentic space, just as it does all other minority groups?' What are their prospects? Israel's conduct of the war has shocked so many people, and it has become such a powerfully charged issue that Gaza, and opposition to 'austerity', will hold them together – but there will be arguments. The left is traditionally prone to splintering (as Labour itself did in Corbyn's heyday), and there's no reason to suppose it'll be different this time, given the busy intersection of cultural and traditional class issues. Sadly, the kind of bitter controversies about antisemitism and Islamophobia that disfigured Corbyn's period as Labour leader could quite easily cause even more disruption and appalling publicity for the new party. Corbyn's answer to all this is maximum autonomy at the local level, but that also means a lack of clarity on policy, and yet more room for internal division – just like when he ran Labour, in fact.
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Corbyn's Left party is even more dangerous than we feared
Zarah Sultana does not want for energy or enthusiasm. She may lack other qualities – political judgment, for example, or a sense of perspective – but these can be forgiven in one so young. But the interview she gave to the Marxist in-house media organisation of choice, Novara, yesterday showed the Coventry South MP at her finest: brimming with confidence and excitement at the recent launch of her new political party and evangelically enthusiastic for the change she is determined it will achieve. She was like one of those Duracell bunnies that never seems to stop hopping about, energised by her own rhetoric and ideas. Inevitably – and herein lies one of the new, unnamed party's most vulnerable weaknesses – she was at her most passionate when discussing (or rather, when she was repeating clichés and sound bites regarding) Gaza. It's a weakness because the conflict there between Israel and Hamas terrorists may not (we hope) be as high profile a news item by the time the UK goes to the polls to elect a government in 2028 or 2029. And building a movement on an issue that may not have the same resonance in a few years' time is fraught with dangers. Also, Sultana likes to believe that a hard-Left party will, simply by its existence, appeal to working-class communities. This is an article of faith among such activists, who remain convinced, despite acres of evidence to the contrary, that working-class voters are instinctively drawn to the extremes of the political Left. Yet those traditionally labelled as working-class seem not to have bought into the keffiyeh fetish so beloved of most of the white middle-class protesters who take part in the weekly Israel hate-fests to which the rest of us are now mostly inured. Like so many on the Marxist Left, Sultana seems unable to make her way to the end of any interview without demanding that Britain's current leadership face trial at the Hague. This is almost a Pavlovian response to events in the Middle East and is well beloved of hard-Left activists. Remember the middle-class wet dreams of many critics of the Iraq war who regularly used to predict Tony Blair's imminent arrival at the Hague? There were even TV dramas made about it to assuage the ravenous appetite of those who were struggling to cope with their disappointment that no one was taking them seriously. And so, it is with those who fulminate against Keir Starmer and David Lammy and who demand they face international 'justice ', based on the erroneous belief that the Israeli war machine depends exclusively on the British arms industry. If there is a similarity to the arguments frequently made by climate change activists regarding Britain's culpability for global temperature rises, it lies in the fact that unilateral action by the UK would have no serious impact on either situation. To demand that those who disagree with you should be sent to prison is a strangely central American solution to any policy conflict. And perhaps it serves as a warning of the ideological purity and intolerance that afflicts all such far-Left splinters when they first form. 'The Right doesn't have a monopoly on working-class anger,' Sultana enthused. Well, perhaps not, but there can't be that many housing estates where residents are enthusiastically signing up to her new party because of their anger at the number of people who refuse to believe that 'trans women are women', which will inevitably be one of the unshakeable principles of the new party. Yet when it comes to the real cause of working-class anger – the intolerable levels of legal immigration into our country and the continuing humiliation of our border security by the daily arrivals of those fleeing persecution in [checks notes] France – Sultana's response was all about household bills and nationalising the water companies. That answer may require some work before the televised election debates in a few years' time. It should be noted, however, that despite the many grotesque and occasionally entertaining fallacies and contradictions of the hard-Left mindset, electoral success is not actually beyond the reach of the new party and its (for the moment) co-leaders, Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn. With Reform UK upending everyone's expectations, with Labour at a historic low in the polls and the Conservatives on the verge of extinction, who can say to what extent the new party will serve as a disruptor to the established political process? It may have an electoral appeal that is limited to those who believe in growing both the welfare and tax bills exponentially while at the same time cancelling economic growth due to climate concerns, but under the first-past-the-post electoral system, it is at least conceivable that such a message could prove the least unpopular among competing policies in some parts of the country. At the very least, the new party will be a headache for the current Government and governing party. How long that remains the case will depend on how long Ms Sultana can maintain her Tiggerish optimism. Never have the next four years seemed quite so long.
The National
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Zarah Sultana reveals preference for name of new party
The Coventry South MP said she wanted it to be called 'The Left' or 'The Left Party', which would put it on similar footing to Sweden's Vansterpartiet or Die Linke in Germany. Asked in an interview with Novara Media what her preference for the name was, she said: 'This obviously will be chosen by the members in the most democratic way possible. READ MORE: Police probe 'assault' after Tommy Robinson 'filmed next to unconscious man' 'Everyone's got an opinion, I do too. I think it should be called 'The Left' or 'The Left Party', because it says what it is on the tin and I think that is something that I will that I will be pitching and I'm sure loads of people have an opinion.' The name of the as-yet-unformed party has already sparked debate, after Sultana said on Twitter/X that it was not called 'Your Party'. Zarah Sultana said last night that her preferred name for the new party is 'The Left Party'. Would follow the likes of Vansterpartiet in Sweden, Die Linke in Germany and Left Alliance in Finland. — Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) July 29, 2025 The confusion followed the launch of the vehicle which is intended to form the new party, which is called Your Party. The group has said it has received more than 500,000 sign-ups since its launch on Thursday. Not all of these will be paying members though there is an option to donate. READ MORE: Donald Trump responds to John Swinney's indyref2 plan It is associated with the Independent Alliance, a group of Muslim MPs and Corbyn which Sultana has since joined. Sultana appeared to surprise Corbyn with the announcement a new party was coming earlier this month. A poll released last month showed that a Corbyn-led party could expect to pick up 10% of the vote while another from earlier this week put the party on 15% – level with Keir Starmer's Labour Party.
Sky News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
How Corbyn's new party is preparing for battle - and where insiders think they could win
Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's new party will offer "unapologetically socialist" policies, with the pair to embark on a nationwide tour to listen to ideas, Sky News understands. The former Labour MPs are aiming to hold the party's first conference in the autumn to help decide what it stands for and models of leadership. Farage condemns 'disgusting' Savile remark - politics live Ms Sultana told Sky News its policies will include "democratic public ownership of key industries, universal free childcare, rent controls, free public transport and much more". Mr Corbyn, the ex-Labour leader, added there is "huge appetite for the policies that are needed to fix society", including "wealth redistribution, housing justice, and a foreign policy based on peace and human rights". The autumn conference will be for paid members rather than those who have simply signed up to the party's website. How to translate signups into membership, and exactly how members will have their say on policies, will be discussed as part of a "founding process" over the next few months. This will involve local engagement with communities up and down the country, including rallies and meetings fronted by Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, as well as "other public figures", a source close to the party told Sky News. 1:22 Election goals While there are many details to be fleshed out, including the name, the pair's "primary aim" is to make gains at the local elections next May, it is understood. Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana announced their new venture last Thursday, and claim more than half a million people have signed up, but "Your Party" is only an interim name. Members will decide the official one in due course. Insiders have claimed they are attracting support from a wide geographical area, the strongest bases being in London, the North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. It remains to be seen whether those who have expressed an interest will go on to join the party. However, there is a risk it could eat into Labour's vote share by attracting those on the left unhappy with the direction of the Starmer government, particularly on issues like Gaza and welfare. 5:51 Mr Corbyn led the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 before being suspended following a row over a report into antisemitism. He retained his seat in Islington North after standing in last year's general election as an independent. Ms Sultana was suspended as a Labour MP last year after rebelling against the government over the two-child benefit cap, and announced she was quitting the party to launch a new one with Mr Corbyn earlier this month. Polling by More in Common before the new outfit was officially announced suggested it could take 10% of the vote at a general election, mainly from Labour and the Greens. This has raised the prospect of Mr Corbyn striking a deal with the Greens, where both sides would agree to stand down in seats where the other has a stronger chance of winning Could Farage benefit? The Islington North MP has suggested he is open to collaboration with progressive parties, but it is understood that electoral strategy will be informed by conference. It is also not clear if the Greens would agree to any such pact. Some MPs are worried the split in the left vote could make it easier for Nigel Farage, already ahead in the polls, to enter Downing Street. Patrick Hurley, the Labour MP for Southport, told Sky News: "The thing I'm worried about with regard to the unnamed but already chaotic Corbyn Party is that they let Reform through the middle by taking votes off a progressive centre left party like Labour. "They won't be a threat electorally, but they may well let the radical right wing into power by splitting the vote." However, Labour was dismissive of the threat the party posed, with a source saying: "The electorate has twice given its verdict on a Jeremy Corbyn-led party."
New Statesman
17 hours ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
How worried should Labour be by Corbyn's mailing list?
Photo byAt the time of writing, more than half-a-million people have signed up to the mailing list for Your Party, headed up by former Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. This party is in an incubational stage. It will be made into a proper political party with, hopefully, a proper name at its inaugural conference… whenever that is. I am reminded of the Labour leadership election in 2015. There was a rule change that gave members of the party a right to vote for the next Labour leader. And predictably, Labour membership surged. It made Labour the largest party in Europe. Constituency Labour Party meetings were packed out. Factions were formed. Zack Polanski, in his New Statesman debate with Adrian Ramsey two weeks ago, alluded to a similar phenomenon in the Green Party now. Branch meetings are swelling in size thanks to the upcoming leadership election; disgruntled councillors and members are switching sides to get what some might view as a Corbyn-friendly leader on the air-waves. At least, that's what Zack says. This is a bell weather moment. There is obviously an appetite for a sharper left populist rabble rouser to shake up the status quo, whether a Corbyn/Sultana led party or a Polanski led one. The right-wing version of this disposition has had an outlet in Reform for at least a year now, and now the left is finding its own vehicle. Perhaps the conditions have never been better for the emergence of a left populist party. Voters are less loyal, more consumer-minded, more swingy (as I wrote in 2022), than ever before. As research from Peter Kellner shows, the only enthused loyalists in town right now are bedded in with Reform and the Greens – the radicals. But members, as with Labour's surge in 2015 or the Green surge now, do not speak for voters. They are vastly unrepresentative of the unattached masses. And in the Corbyn/Sultana case, this isn't even membership. Plenty of over-excited people are claiming Your Party has overtaken the Tories and Reform and may just have pipped Labour for the most popular party nationally. But this is a mailing list, free of charge, just 'keep me in the loop' stuff. This does not mean the surge is totally meaningless, but it is less meaningful than half a million paid up members to a real party with a real name and legitimate infrastructure. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe What does that tell us about the real term popularity of this future project? One poll tells us a Corbyn-type party would tweak the enthusiasms of 18 per cent of us. This compares to 30 per cent for Labour in its current form, 24 per cent for the Conservatives, 28 per cent for the Greens… and 28 per cent for Reform. In isolation, as a headline, 18 per cent sounds exciting. In as split an environment as Britain's, 18 per cent at the ballot box would win you a hefty number of seats, and if Reform isn't too far ahead, kingmaker role in the coalition negotiations. But look closer and you will see the 18 per cent is the real upper-limit of what this party could get. And the support trends among the younger (an unreliable voter base). Corbyn does bring voters out. I've never seen his face on my Facebook feed more than now. And I remember 2017! Corbyn excites. But he also brings out his opponents. No party has people swearing themselves from ever voting for it more. In the long term, one has to wonder whether a New Left party so heavily tied to the Corbyn brand would be as toxifying as it exciting. For now however, we know there is appetite on the left for something sharper than what Labour currently offers. The mailing list is not really evidence of that. [See more: A Trump shaped elephant] Related
