Zarah Sultana’s and Jeremy Corbyn’s Party: a New Opening for the British Left? [interview]

Former British Labour Party leader and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, together with a former Labour (now independent) MP Zarah Sultana confirmed the formation of a new political party. Corbyn pledged to “build a democratic movement that will stand up to the rich and powerful.” The party does not yet have a name and has not yet been registered with the Electoral Commission. As the BBC noted, the leaders are divided by generational differences and political experience – Corbyn has been an MP for almost half a century, Sultana – for six years.

– The new formation will face not only political questions, but also serious debates over strategy and internal organisation. The future electoral strategy of this project, Your Party, or whatever it ends up being called, remains to be determined. The Labour Party isn’t going to vanish overnight. Despite its failings, it has long-standing, organic ties to the trade unions and working-class communities – tells us Gavin Rae, a former Labour activist. 

Interview by Wojciech Albert Łobodziński.

Why have Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana decided to set up this new political party at this very moment?

I think it’s mainly due to the poor performance of the Labour government and the growing dissatisfaction among its supporters. On top of that, Keir Starmer and the Labour leadership have suspended or expelled various members, including MPs, creating a situation where prominent figures have found themselves outside the party. In addition, Labour’s support in the opinion polls is currently very low

More broadly, the UK is following a pattern we’ve seen in other major Western countries: stagnant economic growth, austerity, militarisation, the rise of the far right, and increasing racism and authoritarianism. What’s different in the UK, perhaps, is that all of this is happening under a government that still presents itself as left-wing. That contradiction has deepened internal divisions within the Labour Party, perhaps more so than ever before.

There have been previous attempts to build left-wing alternatives, Respect, Left Unity, various socialist groups, but these were typically initiated by small factions. They didn’t represent a significant break within the Labour base. What we’re seeing now has the potential to be different: a real rift, driven by prominent figures and broader frustration within society over the economic and political direction of the country.

It is a convergence of factors: ongoing social and economic discontent, disillusionment with the Labour government among its base, and the expulsions carried out by Starmer’s leadership.

Jeremy Corbyn is a well-known figure even outside of British borders—he used to be the leader of the Labour Party. What about Zarah Sultana? What’s her story?

Zarah Sultana was elected in 2019, while Corbyn was still leader of the Labour Party. She’s a left-wing MP representing Coventry and part of the younger generation (she’s 31) politicised during the Corbyn era.

Politically, she very much follows the Corbyn tradition: a blend of left-wing economic policies, anti-austerity, pro-workers’ rights, and a strong anti-imperialist, anti-war stance. That combination has always defined Corbyn, and it’s relatively rare in British politics. Sultana has taken consistently strong positions on Palestine, for example, and she’s faced repeated attacks from the right-wing media because of them.

Earlier this month, she spoke out in Parliament against the proscription of a group called Palestine Action, which had just been designated a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action is a direct action group supporting Palestinian rights, and in Parliament, she declared, “We are all Palestine Action.” Rather than wait to be expelled or suspended by Starmer and the Labour leadership, she chose to resign her membership in the party. Soon after, she announced that she would be forming a new political party alongside Jeremy Corbyn.

I think that move caught Corbyn somewhat by surprise. While I’m not privy to all the behind-the-scenes discussions, it’s clear that conversations about forming a new party had been happening for some time within Corbyn’s circle and the broader left, especially as Labour’s support continued to decline. But it seems Sultana forced the issue and effectively said: We’re doing this now.

The conversation about a new left-wing party in the UK has been going on for quite a while. I remember we met a couple of times and discussed it, it’s been at least two years, maybe even longer. But when it comes to her supposedly “forcing his hand,” some people mention miscommunication or even a mistake. How do you see it?

I don’t think there’s any deep disagreement between them. My sense is that Corbyn was simply more cautious. He had been a member of the Labour Party for virtually his entire adult life, until he was expelled in 2024. He even stood as an independent against Labour and won in last year’s election. I think his caution stemmed from uncertainty: When should we launch? With whom? Under what conditions? Those are not easy questions, especially for someone with his history in the party. Whether she really forced his hand or just got out ahead with a public statement, I don’t know.

There may also have been background questions about leadership: who should lead the party, what kind of leadership structure it should have. Sultana clearly positioned herself as a central figure, having called for co-leadership in the new party. We still don’t know who will lead it officially, because there hasn’t been a founding conference yet. But by stepping forward in that way, she was pushing herself into a leading role.

Whether that was coordinated or not is unclear. But after a couple of weeks of uncertainty, which, by the way, was one of the reasons we delayed this conversation, we now have a clearer picture. The new initiative, called Your Party (though it’s not officially a party yet), was announced. They plan to hold a founding conference in the autumn and begin the process of formally establishing the party.

Within two days, they collected 400,000 potential membership declarations. Right now it’s half a million.

Of course, that means no more than people signing up for a newsletter, expressing interest, asking to be kept informed. But still, it’s significant. Just for comparison, the Labour Party, which has lost hundreds of thousands of members since its peak under Corbyn, now counts around 300,000 members.

The new party would be then twice as big as Reform UK, right?

Yes, exactly. It’s already twice the size of Reform UK and larger than the Conservative Party in terms of interested supporters.

Before Corbyn’s rise to Labour leadership, most political parties in the UK were experiencing a decline in membership. And to be honest, many party leaders didn’t mind—mass membership, democratic engagement, internal debate… these weren’t priorities. In fact, they often saw them as inconveniences. Starmer, for example, has reduced member participation and curtailed internal democracy in the party. That’s in direct contrast to Corbyn’s approach, which encouraged grassroots involvement.

The new development could be a major breakthrough, not just another coalition of far-left or fringe groups, which we’ve seen in the past. This has the potential to become a real, broad-based left-wing party with mass social support.

And what kind of support can they expect in Parliament going forward?

There are a few things that have already happened on this front. In the last general election, just over a year ago, you could see the beginning of a real break in British politics.

Remember, the UK has had a very entrenched two-party system, maintained by the first-past-the-post electoral system, for well over a hundred years.

And even before that, it was a two-party system.

Exactly, the Liberals and the Conservatives, or the Whigs and Tories before them. That’s been the traditional structure of British politics.

But in that last election, four or five independent MPs were elected – Corbyn being one of them. The others were mostly pro-Palestinian candidates from Muslim communities, who won in constituencies with large Muslim populations—voters who were deeply dissatisfied with Labour’s stance, particularly on the war in Gaza, but also with the party’s general shift to the right. There were also a few other independent candidates who came quite close to winning.

In terms of parliamentary presence, things are still taking shape. Zarah Sultana is now independent. Diane Abbott, a prominent left-wing MP, was suspended from Labour over what was widely seen as a trumped-up allegation of antisemitism. She had made a comment in an interview arguing that racism against Black people is not worse but different due to its roots in skin colour. Starmer’s leadership deemed that antisemitic, which many found absurd.

As Abbott was suspended, it is entirely possible she could join the new formation. And there may be others. Several MPs have had the whip withdrawn, meaning they’re no longer part of the parliamentary Labour group.

You mean they were effectively removed from the party in Parliament?

It means they’ve been suspended from participating in the Labour parliamentary group. Having the whip withdrawn means they’re no longer under the discipline of the Labour Party in Parliament. They’re still MPs, but they sit as independents and can’t act on behalf of the party. Some have been in this position for quite a while now.Interestingly, not all of them are particularly left-wing. But there’s a lot of anxiety among Labour MPs at the moment, because many fears they’ll lose their seats in the next election. That anxiety is also affecting how they vote and speak.

Take the welfare reform bill Labour pushed recently, it included proposals like cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance and other welfare reductions.

The most controversial was the two-child benefit cap, right?

Exactly. That became the main flashpoint. In total, 47 Labour MPs voted against the welfare bill, a pretty significant rebellion. The leadership ended up walking back some of the proposals, like the fuel allowance cuts.

At the moment, there are six MPs who have had the Labour whip removed. Then there are MPs who’ve been suspended from the party entirely, Diane Abbott is one example. Jeremy Corbyn was eventually expelled. Zarah Sultana made her own decision to quit the party.

However, I don’t necessarily expect all of the former Labour MPs to join the new party. Some might, some probably won’t. We’ll see what happens with the other left-leaning MPs in the coming months. It’s early days, but the potential is there.

So that’s the situation of the Labour. What about the broader left, meaning, the Green Party?

Like most Green parties internationally, the UK Greens have internal factions and can shift positions. But in contrast to, say, the German Greens, the UK Green Party has taken a more distinctly left-wing stance on many issues in recent years. In some ways, they’ve moved into the space the Labour Party vacated.

There’s a Green Party leadership election coming up in early September. The leading candidate, Zak Polanski, is running on a left-wing platform and is currently favoured to win. He’s already said he would be open to working with the new party, Your Party, as it’s being called for now, though that won’t be the final name.

That opens up the possibility of some sort of left-wing bloc in Parliament. On certain issues, you could also see cooperation with the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru from Wales.

So altogether, this creates the potential for a broader alliance that could make meaningful inroads in the next general election.

There’s already a debate about whether these parties should form some kind of electoral agreement. Do you think that’s possible? Could they go for it?

We’ve seen similar arrangements in Wales, and the Greens have a presence in Brighton and other student cities, let’s say. So where could this new, emerging party realistically find support?

Those are all open questions, because right now, this new party only exists on paper. It’s not a functioning political organisation yet.A lot will depend on the relationships it builds. Will it cooperate with the Green Party, for example? What about the Scottish National Party or Plaid Cymru in Wales? These are parties with their own distinct political positions and priorities.

Will the new party stand candidates in every constituency? The next general election doesn’t have to take place until 2029, so we’re still a long way off. For now, Corbyn has said that the new party intends to stand candidates in the local elections next May. That will likely be their immediate focus. As for the possibility of a formal or informal electoral alliance, that’s still uncertain. There are people on both sides who support such cooperation, and others who oppose it. Personally, I think some form of electoral coordination would make sense—whether formal or informal. It could increase the chances of the left gaining real ground, especially under the constraints of the first-past-the-post system.

But then there are deeper questions. What will the new party’s relationship be to the Labour Party? Labour isn’t going to vanish overnight. Despite its failings, it has long-standing, organic ties to the trade unions and working-class communities. That history doesn’t just disappear. There’s still a Labour left, however marginalised. How will the new party relate to left-leaning MPs who choose to remain within Labour?

As this new formation develops, it will face not only political questions, but also serious debates over strategy and internal organisation. Everyone has their opinions, of course, but for now, the future electoral strategy of this project. Your Party, or whatever it ends up being called,  remains to be determined.

The new party’s name, logo, leadership, and programme are to be decided democratically by its supporters. Do you think this model of grassroots decision-making will hold?

That’s the plan, at least for now. The founding congress this autumn is meant to decide all of that, leadership, programme, name, identity. Corbyn has said he wants a community-led, grassroots party connected to local organisations and movements. It’s an inspiring idea, and probably necessary if you’re trying to build a party with mass appeal.

But at some point, there will also need to be structure and discipline.

I can imagine serious divisions emerging.

Absolutely. The British left is deeply divided, on Ukraine, immigration, Brexit, even trans rights. Take Brexit: large parts of the far left supported “Lexit,” a position I think was misguided. That debate hasn’t gone away, it just shifted to what the UK’s future relationship with the EU should be.

What’s really needed is a pluralist party: one that allows for debate and disagreement, but still has internal democracy and a shared direction. Whether that’s possible, especially given what Corbyn faced as Labour leader, remains to be seen. It won’t be easy.

When Corbyn led Labour, many of the MPs elected before his leadership undermined him from within. But the media and political establishment also launched relentless external attacks. If this new party shows any real potential to become a serious left-wing alternative, the same will happen again. There will be efforts to divide, discredit, and destabilise it.

That’s why it must be built smartly. I fully support Corbyn’s vision of a grassroot, community-led party, but a party also needs clear organisation, internal discipline, and unity around key issues. The left must learn to manage its differences and stay focused on what matters most.

Cover photo: Zarah Sultana speaks at the nurses’ protest, 2023.

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