"Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana unite to form new leftist party"

Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana have agreed to establish a new political movement after weeks of talks, issuing a joint statement urging potential backers to express their interest.

The group has yet to be named but has set up a provisional website referred to as Your Party. In a message on X, the two former Labour MPs described it as “a new kind of political party, one that belongs to you.”

“The system is broken when 4.5 million children live in poverty in the world’s sixth-wealthiest nation,” the statement said. “The system is broken when large companies profit from rising costs. The system is broken when the government claims there is no money for those in need but billions for conflict. We refuse to accept these injustices, and so should you.”

The statement included a link to the Your Party website, where people can register. The site stated: “Soon, we will hold an initial conference where you can help decide how the party operates, its principles, and how we can succeed together.”

Sultana clarified that “Your Party” was only a placeholder name. After a news site referred to it by that name, she responded on X: “It’s not called Your Party!”

The website’s privacy policy indicates it is overseen by the Peace and Justice Project, an organization founded by Corbyn. The PJP currently handles communications for the new group, though it is expected that its mailing list will eventually merge with one previously set up by Sultana after the party is formally established.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Corbyn mentioned that the inaugural conference would likely take place in mid-autumn but noted that no date had been finalized.

Following earlier confusion between him and Sultana regarding the new party, Corbyn said they were collaborating effectively and staying in close contact.

He criticized the populism of Reform UK as “a dangerous path,” adding: “What we propose is uniting people to collectively address poverty, inadequate housing, and underfunded education—tackling these challenges together.”

The announcement resolves speculation that began in early June when Sultana, who was elected as Labour MP for Coventry South in 2019 but lost party affiliation after last year’s election, said she was leaving Labour to lead a new movement with Corbyn.

This seemed unexpected for Corbyn, the former Labour leader who also lost party ties in 2020 but was re-elected independently as MP for Islington North last year. At the time of Sultana’s announcement, he had not yet committed to forming a new party or agreed they would lead it together.

Sultana started a fundraising campaign and supporter registration page under her name later in June, while Corbyn only confirmed that discussions about future steps were underway. Earlier this month, he acknowledged that he and Sultana were in talks about a new party.

The joint statement on Thursday confirmed their collaboration.