"Labour is dead" after failing to represent working people, Zarah Sultana said as she called for patience from supporters of a new left-wing party she is forming with Jeremy Corbyn, telling them to "watch this space."
Sultana, the independent MP for Coventry South who left Labour after losing the whip for supporting an effort to end the two-child benefit cap, is a co-leader of the emerging party alongside Corbyn.
She spoke over the weekend in Newcastle at a conference organized by a separate but ideologically aligned left-wing group founded by Jamie Driscoll, the former Labour North of Tyne mayor. Driscoll exited the party after being blocked from running as its candidate in the north-east mayoral election.
Around 300 people filled the Great Hall meeting room of Newcastle’s Discovery Museum. The event highlighted the challenges Labour faces from both the left and right amid shifting political dynamics, with traditional mainstream parties losing public trust.
Sultana stated that more than 750,000 people had expressed interest in the new party but acknowledged frustration over delays in its official launch. Temporarily referred to as "Your Party," it has yet to announce a name or set a date for its promised mid-autumn conference.
"Watch this space," Sultana told CuriosityNews. "I’m eager to move forward too, but democracy must be central to this effort. It needs to represent the broader movement, not just be driven by MPs."
Zack Polanski, the Green Party’s new leader, said he was open to collaboration with Your Party, though he dismissed the idea of an electoral alliance.
Sultana said she has a good relationship with Polanski, adding, "Labour has shifted to the right. With Reform and the Conservatives already in place, people want a left-wing option unbound by the interests of billionaires and the ultra-wealthy."
"Where our goals align, we’ll work with the Greens—but it must happen democratically, in line with what their members expect from their leaders."
In her speech, she criticized Labour as a "dead party" that had fallen short of delivering for voters but stressed she had no desire to recreate a "Labour 2.0" or a party solely focused on electoral victories.
"The problems we face are too significant for minor adjustments," she said. "They require decisive action and a stronger grasp of power."
Attendees from Driscoll’s Majority party inquired about its future ties to the Corbyn-Sultana group.
"That depends on what Majority’s members want and what Your Party’s members want," Sultana responded. "Naturally, Majority should remain independent, free to determine its own direction."
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