Former Labour leader launches movement with Zarah Sultana, stating that current system is 'rigged'

By MEE staff Published date: 24 July 2025 13:49 BST

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that he has launched a new political party alongside fellow independent lawmaker Zarah Sultana.

In a joint statement published on X on Thursday, the two said that the system was “rigged” when the current government “says there is no money for the poor, but billions for war”.

The pair also cited UK complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza as reason for the need for an alternative party.

  • RunawayFixer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    The UK still has a fptp election system. Splitting the leftist vote, seems like a good way to move the UK further to the right again.

    I thought that internal opposition within the Labour party, would have been the way forward. I had the impression that Starmer was very unpopular with Labour members, so why can’t they get rid of him and his clique from within the party?

    • bollybing@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      Starmer just purges members that make too much trouble like Corbyn, and his majority is so big that he can’t really be opposed.

      There already is a major party that’s actually left wing, the Greens. Its not clear where this new party actually differs from the greens in terms of policy.

    • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.netEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      Isn’t Reform UK party splitting the right-wing vote? Looks like a perfect moment to enter on the left with any chance of winning. Maybe they simply don’t want to sit idly while Labour hands over power to Farage without fighting?

      • RunawayFixer@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 days ago

        I’ve done some reading and it turns out that Reform is now sometimes polling at a percentage equal to what Labour last won the elections with (~34%). Labour is polling as low as ~20%, the greens at ~10%. So yes, Reform and Tories are splitting the rightwing vote, but no, the left cannot afford to further split the left vote.

        Because of fptp, that 34% result was enough to bring Labour to a 63% majority. Which apart from being ridiculously unrepresentative, also means that Reform could achieve the same result.

        As an external observer who would rather not have Reform get in control of the UK, I see 2 possible solutions:

        1. Get rid of fptp asap.
        2. If that’s not possible for reasons, then coordinate in between moderate parties to let the top moderate candidate run unopposed against Reform, the French way.
        • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.netEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Reform and Tories are splitting the rightwing vote, but no, the left cannot afford to further split the left vote.

          There are two ways to look at this and two strategies:

          • Progressive party will split the left and it will get less MPs. We should play it safe, run moderate candidates and try to get some right leaning voters to vote for the left

          or

          • real Progressive party will motivate voters and will actually be able to beat Reform. We should abandon the idea of reaching out to right leaning voters and aim for young voters that are disillusioned by current state of affairs and get them to vote

          The first strategy usually fails because it legitimizes the right and demotivates the left. The second strategy tends to work but is not tried very often.

      • bollybing@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        0·
        2 days ago

        Reform are splitting both. They’re pretty smart in their messaging supporting a few leftist policies that are popular with the working class, while backing the 1% for everything that really matters.