Jeremy Corbyn has addressed a meeting for a new leftwing political party named Collective, attended by former Unite general secretary Len McCluskey and several former independent candidates. The private meeting on Sunday saw Corbyn deliver the opening speech, with organisers stating they aim to launch the party and contest seats at the next general election.
Key figures in the group hope the party will act as an incubator for future left-wing leaders and provide a meaningful counterweight to Reform UK and the rightward drift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer. A source close to Corbyn said his attendance was not an official endorsement, but rather an opportunity to listen and share views on the way forward for the left.
Attendees included former North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll, Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, film director Ken Loach, anti-apartheid activist Andrew Feinstein, and Corbyn's former chief of staff Karie Murphy. However, not all attendees support a new party, with Feinstein and Driscoll among those opposed. The initiative may not involve the four independent MPs who won seats on a pro-Palestinian platform and have formed a parliamentary alliance with Corbyn.
Pamela Fitzpatrick, director of Corbyn's Peace and Justice project, said 'now is the time' to establish a party, citing the rise of the far right and political homelessness among voters. The movement, formed earlier this year, shared a strategy briefing suggesting a mass membership drive and efforts to get trade unions to affiliate.
Organisers believe the moment is right as Starmer's government faces criticism over cuts to winter fuel allowances and stalled NHS and infrastructure projects. A further meeting is planned in six weeks. While some leftwing activists have turned to the Green Party, organisers believe Collective will have a separate tradition and could form a 'meaningful electoral bloc'.
