I’ve been asked if I would join a party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana but I’m approaching the issue with cautious optimism. I’ve been reluctant to join another party since quitting Labour in 2019, I donated to Jeremy’s campaign in 2024 but voted Green in my home constituency as there was no other candidate I could even consider voting for. I met my Green Party candidate on a couple of occasions and consider her a friend, without any commitment to joining the party.

Jeremy has been in discussions for awhile about forming a new party. He has 40 years of experience as a parliamentarian, he’s now 76 years old – a few months younger than me but with the vitality of someone much younger. I don’t believe he has ever sought a leadership role but will accept it from a sense of duty until someone younger can take over. Together with his already high profile, I think he’s perfectly cast for the role he’s asked to undertake.

Zarah Sultana is a vivacious young woman who is not afraid to speak her mind and puts her brain in gear before engaging her mouth – unlike some outwardly beautiful women (who I won’t name) who are plain evil! Zarah is an outspoken critic of Starmer’s government who has been sitting as an independent for sometime with no expectation of having the whip restored. Together they will make a formidable duo.

With six MPs, one more than Reform, they will have a substantial standing in parliament – with more opportunity to ask questions at PMQs (although I personally consider them a comedy show). Starmer will need to be careful about suspending dissident MPs, they could swell the ranks of the new party without having to await an election, and there are other candidates waiting in the wings – Andrew Feinstein is willing to take on Starmer for I rebout and I believe he’ll win second time around!

According to recent polls, Leanne Mohammed could beat Wes Streeting in Ilford North. I donated to Andrew’s and Leanne’s campaigns last year when they stood as independents, their chances are increased if they have a recognised party behind them. The next general election is some way off and we have plenty of time to get organised but we shouldn’t waste that time.

Jeremy knows the importance of building a grassroots socialist movement, which is why he’s arranged citizen assemblies in his constituency of Islington North, but a solid base is also important and I’m sure there are several MPs who would prefer to join a socialist party than one in which socialists are barely tolerated. Some comrades condemn them for refusal to leave, I’ve done so myself with the words “cowards flinch”, but I now think we need to understand their hesitancy.

(Incidentally, I unfollowed and muted a former comrade on X because she criticised Rachel Maskell for remaining a Labour while opposing government policies on welfare. You can’t have it both ways!)

Neil Kinnock is talking bollocks when he says “The splintering offered by a new party of the left…can only be of assistance to the enemies of Labour and the working-class”. Labour is no longer a party of the working class and it’s Starmer, not Corbyn, who is giving an opening to Reform! I’m more of the opinion of Len McCluskey.

If the new party proves credible, then I will join it, I will campaign for it and I will urge individuals and trade unions to give their support.

Len McCluskey

Len is unfortunately no longer General Secretary of Unite, and I’m no longer a member. I don’t know what Sharon Graham will do, but other unions could change their affiliation. Unite just voted to suspend Angela Rayner’s membership and reconsider affiliation to Labour, Rayner says she resigned months ago. I don’t care either way, but if Unite disaffiliates there’s no guarantee that another party will benefit from the funding withdrawn from Labour. Ultimately it will be up to members to decide but Graham has shown herself not to be a Corbyn supporter!

Before the new party has been officially launched we have rumours, emanating from right wing press, about disagreements within the group (we can’t call it a party yet). Did Zarah jump the gun by announcing it prematurely? I don’t think so, but we’ll have to wait and see!

One writer in Morning Star said “Jeremy is not the Messiah”, but nobody has claimed that he is! Jeremy has made several mistakes, one of which was to appoint Keir Starmer as shadow minister for Brexit, but his biggest mistake was to try to appease critics who refuse to be appeased. He basically threw my comrade Chris Williamson under a bus saying what is patently true “we’ve made too many apologies”.

I have my reservations and I’m awaiting an official announcement rather than reports from right wing press base on leaked TikTok discussions. I agree with Ken Loach that these discussions should have been open from the start instead of giving our foes a stick to beat us with before the party has even been launched!

A lot seems to depend on the Greens leadership election. It appears that the new party would be able to work with Greens under the leadership of Zack Polanski, but it wouldn’t be right for me to join the Greens just to get him elected. I voted for Jeremy for leadership of the Labour Party as a member of an affiliated union and joined the party on the day he was elected. My circumstances have changed, but my principles haven’t!

Whatever shape a new party of the left takes, it will be democratically chosen. Democracy takes time, and I’m working with Zarah and Jeremy on that. In the meanwhile, Majority is cracking on.  

Jamie Driscoll

I recommend reading Jamie’s article in full, here’s the link:

We all want a mass party, but how will it win? https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/we-all-want-mass-party-how-will-it-win

I hope that this will get off the ground and that the first to MP to join will be John McDonnell, who is still suspended from the Labour Party, I dunno why he hasn’t done so before! When Ian Byrne announced his reintroduction if the Hillsborough Bill John said “You’ll never walk alone”, but it was blocked by my local MP Keir Mathers. What have we deserved to have a pair of curs like Starmer and Mathers in government?

To be honest I don’t see what I can do to help other than what I intended doing anyway – focus on writing instead of routine stuff! I don’t see the point of joining a party just to be a cog in the machine to win elections – I was more active in the Australian Labor Party than in UK Labour but still with minimal input into policy decisions. A Corbyn/Sultana party offer more opportunity for grassroots participation I’ve no intention of standing ppfor election and lack the energy to campaign physically for a candidate! I supported two WPGB candidates, Chris Williamson and Craig Murray, and several independents in the last election and would do so again if not tied to a party.

I’m not committing myself to anything at the moment, I remain cautiously optimistic.