Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is in discussions about forming a new left-wing political party, following the surprise announcement by MP Zarah Sultana that she is leaving Labour to co-lead the project. Sultana, the MP for Coventry South who had the Labour whip suspended last year, said on Thursday night she would co-lead the founding of a new party with Corbyn.
Corbyn, the independent MP for Islington North, expressed delight at Sultana's decision, stating on X that 'the democratic foundations of a new kind of political party will soon take shape.' However, he is understood to be reluctant to take on the title of party leader, preferring collective decision-making to avoid fragmenting the coalition of like-minded MPs.
The announcement took some on the left of Labour by surprise and was seen as premature. John McDonnell and Diane Abbott confirmed they would not join the new party. A Labour source dismissed the move, saying 'the electorate has twice given its verdict on a Jeremy Corbyn-led party.'
Sultana's departure makes her the sixth member of the Independent Alliance of non-party-aligned MPs, giving the group a larger Commons presence than the Greens and Plaid Cymru. Polling suggests a left-wing bloc focused on Gaza, poverty, and the cost of living could attract about 10% of Labour's 2019 supporters in urban seats.
Reform UK figures welcomed the prospect of a split left-wing vote, with one predicting it could take 10% off Labour. Meanwhile, the Green party has intensified campaigns to attract disgruntled left-wing voters. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper dismissed Sultana's accusations, noting she had 'taken a very different view to most people in the government' on several issues.
