Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana have confirmed the formation of an as yet unnamed political party to take on Sir Keir Starmer and Labour from the left.
The populist outfit, which has been temporarily dubbed Your Party, was announced by the former Labour leader and Ms Sultana on Thursday.
Mr Corbyn said it was “time for a new kind of political party – one that belongs to you” and he called for the “mass redistribution of wealth and power”.
The group, which will bring together MPs currently sitting as independents, will“build a democratic movement that can take on the rich and powerful – and win”, he said.
It came weeks after the party’s initial launch, through Ms Sultana’s social media pages, descended into chaos, with Mr Corbyn apparently unaware she was planning to announce their co-leadership.
Then, she promised to offer an alternative to “managed decline and broken promises”. But now the party is forming, what exactly will that look like in practice? Here, The Independent runs through everything we know so far about the new left-wing offering in Westminster.
What is their mission? And do they have any policies?
Unveiling more details on Thursday, Mr Corbyn said his party would tax the rich and invest in council houses.
He also said it would support Palestine and be “made up of people of all faiths and none”.
He said millions of people were “horrified by the government’s complicity in crimes against humanity”.
“Now, more than ever, we must defend the right to protest against genocide,” he wrote. “We believe in the radical idea that all human life has equal value. That is why we will keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel, and for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine”.
With growing contempt for Labour under Sir Keir after he suspended four MPs for rebelling against his planned benefit cuts, Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana are attempting to unite the left in opposition to the party. Further details of how the party will work, who will lead it, what its policies will be and, crucially, what it will be called will be decided by members at an inaugural conference, expected this autumn.
Who is involved?
Ms Sultana initially said she will be leading the party with former Labour leader Mr Corbyn. While the ex-Labour leader initially declined to comment, sparking rumours he had not fully committed to join, he later issued a statement confirming that “discussions are ongoing” about the party’s formation.
Thursday’s formal launch letter was signed by both Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, and discussions about the party’s formation are believed to have involved independent MPs sitting in parliament as well as campaigners and local coucillors across the country.
One of those expected to join is Leanne Mohamad, a British-Palestinian activist who almost unseated Wes Streeting in last summer’s general election and is planning to run against him again.
Another potential member is Andrew Feinstein, who stood against Sir Keir in his Holborn and St Pancras seat, coming second with 7,312 votes.
How much support do they have?
It is too early to tell what kind of backing Ms Sultana’s party would have in practice. In three weeks, she had gained more than 70,000 sign-ups to her page.
More broadly, polling conducted by More in Common last month – well before the MP unveiled her party – asked the public how they would vote if a left-leaning party led by Mr Corbyn emerged.
The hypothetical scenario saw 10 per cent of voters say they would back the party, taking three points from Labour, four points from the Greens, one point from the Lib Dems and one point from the SNP. Labour was left with 20 per cent support, neck and neck with the Tories, while Reform UK was on 27 per cent.
What is happening with the name?
The pair sparked mass confusion online with the formation of the party, directing supporters to a website under the title Your Party.
Reform chairman Zia Yusuf said that from a branding perspective it was “one of the worst party names ever”. And, responding to a news outlet on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Sultana sought to clarify, writing: “It’s not called your party!”
“From the launch to the party, conference, structures & yes – even the name! – we’re building it together,” she added, confirming that members will decide the name.
Labour MPs also piled in on the chaos, with Mike Reader saying: “I strongly recommend Votey McVote Face.”
