Latest news with #JeremyCorbyn
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
‘The UK needs a new voting system first': Readers react to Corbyn's new left-wing party
Public reaction to Jeremy Corbyn's new left-wing party has been mixed, with many Independent readers more concerned about the UK's electoral system than the party itself. While some welcomed the alternative to what they see as a 'Tory-lite' Labour government, most agreed that the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system makes it almost impossible for smaller parties to succeed – and risks splitting the left vote. 'Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog's breakfast that is British politics will continue,' wrote one commenter. Others feared the move could hand power to a Tory-Reform coalition, with one reader warning: 'If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Farage and Jenrick manage to destroy.' Although Corbyn remains popular among younger voters, many readers questioned the strategy behind launching a new party now. 'This is a disaster waiting to happen,' one said. 'The left is already fragmented and needs unity, not further splits.' Some saw the move as a protest rather than a serious political project, while others argued it could force Labour to shift left or adopt PR. Here's what you had to say: No real left in the UK I certainly don't like the Conservatives, and I dislike Reform UK even more. The problem with the current Labour government is that they are Tory lite. I cannot see Corbyn ever being PM. Starmer is sadly too authoritarian – hence the jailing of peaceful protesters. Personally speaking, I would like to see a combination of the Lib Dems and Greens in power, but there is almost zero chance of that happening. The Lib Dems are much more to the left than Labour. Christopher1959 Do you think the UK's voting system needs to change? Let us know in the below. Until the system changes, expect a mess Although it is excellent to have more choices for the electorate to choose from, unfortunately, because of the first past the post electoral system (FPTP), this only "waters down" the anti-Tory/Reform vote, because those right-wing parties and their "supporters" will stick together. Don't forget the Lib Dems, who command a fair old share of the electorate – but not enough for a majority. That could result in permanent right-wing governance! Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog's breakfast that is Brit politics will continue, with either "one or t'other", or, as I said, because of the watering down of the centre and left-wing vote, a permanent Tory/Reform bunch in power! Blue3Lee It's a step, but PR must come first A step in the right direction – offering a wider choice to the electorate, many of whom feel they have a Hobson's choice at the moment. But it won't work as an alternative under FPTP. To succeed, a genuine form of PR would have to come first – freeing voters to vote for their real preference rather than simply to prevent an alternative. Corbyn won't be around for too much longer and would, I think, willingly step back once a more genuine left-of-centre Labour-type alternative is available. Strangely Enough Finally, some choice outside the centre I think the public now having a slightly right-wing party in Reform and a slightly left-wing party with Corbyn to vote for is a positive thing, given the centrist WEF Lab/Con Blairites we've had since 1997. GaryGlass New parties need deep pockets to survive I have two principal thoughts on this: First, this isn't the first time that a "splinter" party has been formed in the UK. Regrettably, almost none have survived contact with FPTP for long, other than the Green Party and niche outfits like George Galloway's "Respect" party. Second, to have any chance of electoral survival, let alone making a difference, this putative political party must have serious (pots of money) backing. If this party subsequently shows sufficient support, I suspect that the chances of any form of proportional electoral system being brought in will recede even further, because of the increasing electoral threat to the current government. Nobrandloyalty Corbyn's party won't win, but could push Labour Whilst this new party will definitely not win the election and will probably get few MPs, the threat of a split in the left vote – letting in Reform on an even lower percentage than Labour got last year – will hopefully motivate Labour to change some policies. Possibly even encourage them to manifesto-promise PR/electoral reform to tempt people back into tactical voting for them in 2029 – so they can have better chances for the JC party in 2034. Someone182 A split left could hand power to Farage I remember how the SDP were going to "change politics in the UK forever". They did – the Tories lurched even further to the right and kept winning elections. I do not like Starmer, however, splitting the Labour vote is going to give us a Tory/Reform coalition. If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Jenrick/Farage manage to destroy. Moonraker2025 New parties are pointless without PR The UK needs a new voting system before it needs more parties. These small new party initiatives don't work out within the current system. Corbyn's lifelong main political goal is to run a protest movement – and that's what this will be. – ItReallyIsNot FPTP stops Corbyn from being a threat If it wasn't for our FPTP electoral system, Corbyn would be a serious threat, I believe. Polheg Reform will benefit most from Corbyn's move Corbyn's new party will take votes from Labour but is unlikely to win more than a handful of seats. The prime beneficiaries will be Reform. It was a serious mistake for Labour to expel Corbyn, since it was always obvious that he commanded a lot of support from the left and would be in a position to retaliate. Musil A fragmented left is a disaster in waiting Corbyn to the rescue – just when we need some kind of ruthless pragmatic unity in the face of 'Euphemism' – and in waltzes Corbyn and a further split of 5 to 10 per cent at most. It seems that more than ever, a further counterproductive split among an already fragmented centre/left, in the face of a determined, well-organised, highly coordinated and highly effective far right, is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I genuinely cannot see a way out of this. Jim987 Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
Wall Street Journal
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Keir Starmer Has Conditions for Israel
Under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, the British Labour Party would have thrown in long ago with 'our friends from Hamas,' as he once called them. The new Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, may settle for handing Hamas a symbolic victory. On Tuesday Mr. Starmer said the U.K. will join France in recognizing a State of Palestine at the United Nations in September, but with a twist. He'll do it 'unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a cease-fire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.'
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Labour focused on appeasing Reform, not beating them, says Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Labour government of 'appeasing' Reform UK by 'scapegoating' migrants and minorities for its own domestic policy failures, saying his new leftwing political party would take on Nigel Farage instead. The veteran leftwing MP, who confirmed last week he was launching a new, as yet unnamed, movement with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, said British politics was at a 'critical juncture' with the rise of rightwing populism. He said he saw their role as providing hope, not fear. And he accused the Labour party, which he led between 2015 and 2020, of 'paving the path' for Reform's electoral success, by failing to take on a 'rigged economic system' and blaming immigrants for the problems in society. In less than a week, more than 500,000 people have signed up to the new movement which is explicitly aimed at left-leaning voters who have backed Labour, the Greens or the collection of Gaza-focused independents who saw off Labour candidates in four constituencies in last year's election. Polling before the party launched suggested it could gather as much as 10% of the vote nationally. However, new parties usually struggle to maintain momentum, and turning polls into votes relies on building an effective campaign machine, which is difficult to do from scratch. Writing for the Guardian, Corbyn said there was a 'huge appetite' for a reset of the 'broken' political system, under which the traditional two-party domination has broken down. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Up and down the country, there is huge appetite for an economic reset. One that brings water, energy, rail and mail into public ownership. One that invests in welfare, not warfare. One that makes the wealthiest in society pay a bit more in tax to ensure that everyone can live in dignity,' he said. 'This is the political vision that can inspire hope, not fear. The great dividers want you to think that migrants and minorities are responsible for the problems in our society. They're not. 'Those problems are caused by a rigged economic system that protects the interests of billionaires and corporations. By scapegoating migrants and minorities for its own domestic failures, Labour has paved the path for Reform UK. 'This Labour government is here to appease Reform. We are here to defeat Reform. We are at a critical juncture, and we need an alternative, now.' The former Labour leader added: 'Politics should be about empowerment. Instead, people are shut out of the decisions that affect their daily lives. For too long, top-down political parties have patronised their members and disempowered the communities they claim to represent.'
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Islamo-Left alliance is already breaking down
The most sinister thing to happen in British politics in my lifetime, bar Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour party, has been the election of councillors and MPs running on a ticket of radical pro-Palestinianism and vicious anti-Zionism. Shockat Adam, independent MP for Leicester South, held up a keffiyeh on hearing his result. Adnan Hussain, MP for Blackburn, told a Free Palestine rally in 2014: 'They let Gaza burn, they hate Gaza… Now let's make Israel burn, let's make Israel burn.' Electing four MPs, the Greens did better than their wildest dreams at last year's general election. Trashing Israel with their whole heart and soul was part of their appeal. Fesl Reza-Khan, who signed up to the Greens because they (falsely) called Israel's campaign a 'genocide', helped create a Muslim Greens group. 'A lot of us are from ethnic minority backgrounds. What I see in Gaza, I think: 'Hang on, that's happened to me, that's happened to my forefathers, that whole occupation, exploitation, colonisation'.' Right then. But because Labour and the Tories refrained from calling Israel's defensive campaign after October 7 a genocide, Mr Reza-Khan concluded they were 'actually gaslighting me, telling me, 'that's not happening, that's not what I'm seeing'. And I don't need to be told what I'm seeing and witnessing.' One of the most bizarre Green election successes was gardening columnist Mothin Ali taking a seat on Leeds City Council. 'We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu akbar!', he cried on winning, dressed in full religious garb and draped in a keffiyeh. But the Islamo-Left alliance is beginning to fray with almost comic predictability. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there will be considerable divergence between a party that is all guns blazing for LGBTQ+ rights and a constituency that embraces the ultra-conservative credos of Sharia law, under which even immodesty in women, to say nothing of homosexuality, is most certainly banned and, in many Muslim societies, punishable on occasion by death. Exchanges like the following have been livening up social media this week: 'Mate, if you're 'socially conservative', then you're not on the Left. End of', wrote one Mathew Fulton. This triggered a reply by independent MP Hussain arguing that minorities aren't 'privileged with the black and white clarity of an obvious political home on either the Left or Right'. This kind of fracturing over the socially Leftist politics of a party like the Greens, or indeed the emerging Corbynista party, is hardly a surprise. But what remains to be seen is if such issues will end up overpowering the anti-Israel sentiment that currently unites the Left's motley crew of alliances. Britain's Muslim vote is growing – my bet is that those appealing to Islamic-inclined voters will win out over the Leftists.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Zarah Sultana reveals what she wants new political party with Jeremy Corbyn to be called
Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana has revealed what she wants the new left-wing party she has founded with Jeremy Corbyn to be called. The Coventry South MP, who quit Labour earlier this month to launch the new group, is pushing for the name to be 'The Left'. However, the name, already a well-known phrase used to describe left-wing parties and activists in the UK, risks repeating the same confusion that occurred when the movement was officially announced last week. At that stage Mr Corbyn unveiled its existence with a message saying 'this is your party' and urging his followers to go to the website Many assumed the party's new name was simply Your Party, prompting Ms Sultana to clarify on social media: 'It's not called Your Party.' Political opponents mocked the chaos as sources said members of the new party would decide its name at a later date. Ms Sultana was previously reported to have caught Mr Corbyn by surprise when she announced the formation of a new party as she said she had quit Labour. In an interview with the left-wing website Novara, Ms Sultana said the name would be chosen 'in the most democratic way possible'. She added: 'I think it should be called "The Left" or "The Left Party", because it says what it is on the tin. That is something I will be pitching.' The announcement of the new party came after weeks of speculation and was seen as a blow to Sir Keir, with the new party threatening to split voters on the left. While former allies of Mr Corbyn, including ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell, have said they will not join the new party, Mr Corbyn has already united the so-called 'Gaza independents' who unseated Labour MPs at the last general election. A recent Find Out Now poll suggested that the new party would be equal third to Labour in support, with 15 per cent each, behind Reform on 34 per cent and the Tories on 17 per cent. Last week the health secretary Wes Streeting reposted a tweet mocking the new party's launch, suggesting its message was 'Not Your Party'. Other Labour MPs also made fun of the apparent confusion over the new group's name. Mike Reader, the MP for Northampton South, said: 'Members will choose the name. I strongly recommend Votey McVote Face.' Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has said the fledgling party will 'only assist the enemies of Labour' by forming a breakaway challenger party. He said that division on the left only help 'the parties of the right', including Kemi Badenoch 's Conservatives and Nigel Farage 's Reform UK.
