Latest news with #JeremyCorbyn
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Nurse backing calls for strikes promotes Corbyn's new party
A socialist nurse who supports Jeremy Corbyn's new hard-Left party is backing the campaign for NHS strikes, The Telegraph can reveal. Harry Eccles, an activist for the campaign group NHS Workers Say No, has said he felt hope at the rise of 'strong striking workers' as the health service faces disruption. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the latest to threaten strike action after rejecting the Government's 3.6 per cent pay rise for 2025-26. Mr Eccles has called for Mr Corbyn's new party to work with the Greens and 'change things together''. Posting on X, he shared a graphic from the new Your Party, set up by Mr Corbyn, which referred to its 600,000 sign-ups as 'impressive'. Just days ago he shared a photograph of himself with Mr Corbyn, wearing a red shirt, and saying 'Jeremy Corbyn didn't run Labour into the ground by pursuing Right-wing policies – that was Starmer'. On the same day, he wished followers a 'Happy Socialist Sunday' and added he could feel hope rising with 'the emergence of a strong Zack led Greens, a mighty Sultana/Corbyn party, and the strong striking workers'. 'Nine out of 10 nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reject pay award' — Harry Eccles (@Heccles94) July 31, 2025 On Thursday, he promoted news that nine out of 10 nurses had rejected the latest pay offer, warning that they would strike if their salary demands were not met. NHS Workers Say No took to X on Thursday afternoon, responding to a message from Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, referencing strike action, and saying 'Nurses next' alongside an emoji of a raised fist. The RCN said 91 per cent of 170,000 members that voted on this year's pay award had rejected it. Prof Nicola Ranger, who earns more than £200,000 per year to lead the nurses' union, said her colleagues felt 'deeply undervalued, and that is why record numbers are telling the Government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what's right by them and by patients'. She continued: 'Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS,' she said. 'As a safety-critical profession, keeping hold of experienced nursing staff is fundamentally a safety issue and key to the Government's own vision for the NHS. 'To avoid formal escalation, the Government must be true to its word and negotiate on reforms of the outdated pay structure which traps nursing staff at the same band their entire career.' Nurses next ✊ — NHS Workers Say NO! (@NurseSayNO) July 31, 2025 Nurses in Wales and Northern Ireland also voted to reject the pay award. The profession staged its first-ever walkouts over pay in 2022 and 2023, but strike action came to a halt after it was unable to renew its mandate to keep striking when turnout fell below the legal threshold of 50 per cent. Earlier on Thursday, the Telegraph revealed GPs were also considering winter strikes over the NHS plan, which they believe 'threatens the survival' of the current general practice model. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, ended a five-day walkout on Wednesday morning and have a mandate to strike until the new year. Consultants are currently holding an 'indicative ballot' to assess their appetite to strike. Unions representing other healthcare workers from paramedics to cleaners have also rejected pay awards from the Government.
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Corbyn's new party and the menace of populism
The upcoming launch of a new party by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana (Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana agree to launch leftwing party, 24 July) will inevitably prompt questions about whether this will divide the progressive vote or offer a genuine alternative to Labour's centrist drift, especially as the Green party continues to grow as a principled voice for environmental and social justice. Although these projects are potential rivals, they need not be. If the disturbing rise of rightwing populism is to be successfully confronted, the left must overcome fragmentation and find ways to coexist and collaborate. The Corbyn-Sultana initiative and the Greens share much common ground: a rejection of austerity, commitment to democratic reform and a belief in economic and ecological justice. Their differences in emphasis, tone and priorities are real but not irreconcilable. There has to be scope for a non-aggression pact at the next general election, with each party standing aside in constituencies where the other has a better chance of success. Joint campaigning on core issues – such as proportional representation, protest rights, wealth taxes and a green new deal – could amplify their impact, and framing climate action as central to economic justice, not separate from it, could provide a unifying narrative for both. This is not about merging or blurring identities. It is about strategic and political maturity. If the left cannot cooperate when so much is at stake, it will surrender the field to those who thrive on division and fear. Unity does not require uniformity; it requires courage and purpose. The worse case, of a public war of words and clashing candidacies between the Greens and Corbynites, would demoralise voters and hand the initiative to the populist CosgroveChapel Lawn, Shropshire Your report quotes Labour party sources who are dismissive of the threat from Jeremy Corbyn and then bluntly states that Corbyn 'lost the 2017 and 2019 elections as party leader'. It would have provided a fairer context if you had pointed out that in 2017, the Corbyn-led Labour party achieved 2.5m more votes (and a 6% higher vote share) than Keir Starmer did in 2024. Even in 2019, 500,000 more people voted for Corbyn's party than Starmer's. Dr Chris MorrisKidderminster, Worcestershire In the winter election of 2019 I spent hours leafleting for Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party. The sensation of cold and wet letterboxes still lingers on my fingertips when I think of what he said in an Observer article just after the election – that Labour had lost the election but won the argument. This is all Mr Corbyn is interested in doing – winning the argument – and indeed I think he will find that is all he ever will ArmstrongChester Thank you to Jeremy Corbyn for still caring enough and having the humanity to rally the 99% to join together and put 40 years of neoliberal theft and exploitation behind us. I support all his domestic policies, but the realpolitik of foreign policy bothers me. How would he deal with Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu?Pamela HopeKingston upon Thames, London Oh, Jeremy Corbyn, why splinter the left further by creating a new party when the Greens already actively stand and work for all you want to fight for?Sushila DhallOxford Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Channel 4
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Channel 4
Green party members elect new leader: who are the candidates?
There's a buzz in the air as Green party members gather for the last hustings to elect a new leader before polls open on Friday. We've come down to speak with the candidates before they make their case to members in Hoxton Hall, East London on Wednesday evening. Most commentators seem to think the insurgent candidate Zack Polanski will win: a gay, Jewish, London Assembly member from Manchester who is standing on an eco-populist platform, promising to out-Farage Nigel Farage. He certainly had an air of confidence in his prospects when he sat down with me to discuss his vision for the future, claiming in these uncertain times people are looking for bold leadership. He wants to appeal to those on the progressive left who feel Labour has turned its back on them, saying the Greens under his leadership would be their new political home. Naturally his challengers, the current co-leader Adrian Ramsay and his new running mate Ellie Chowns, disagree they should be so narrow. They think the party should continue to attract a broader base, pointing to the fact that the party had a record number of Green MPs elected last year, as well as currently holding over 800 council seats. Narrow appeal They say taking the party in a new direction that would narrow its appeal to mainly the progressive left would be a mistake, especially with competition from the recent creation of Jeremy Corbyn's new party . It's personal to them: they both won rural seats off the Conservatives last year, quadrupling the number of Green MPs to a record high of four. Victory in Tory seats for the first time ever. The fear from their supporters is not only is the success of the party at stake if they change course from their broader appeal, but perhaps their seats too. I put to Chowns that it was perhaps the unique anti-Tory sentiment at the last election that led to their victory, as opposed to a masterplan from the Greens. 'Yes, of course there were particular circumstances. Yes, of course… individual factors of candidates and local circumstances do influence elections as well as the national picture. We can't predict what that's going to be like in four years' time, but what we can do is make sure that we are the strongest possible electoral force.' On whether you could be a credible political leader without being an MP, Chowns said: 'I do think it would be a shame and a mistake not to take that opportunity, because it's not only that Westminster is the centre of the political debate, you know, on a day to day basis.' But Polanski, perhaps unsurprisingly, disagreed: 'I don't think it matters either way… I think actually what people in this country want is someone who can cut through.' The emergence of a new party from Jeremy Corbyn was frustrating at first for Polanski, but he now finds it exciting. Curious 'Whilst I believe the Green Party should and will stand on its own merits and our own policy, I think it would be madness to not at least be curious about what they're offering, whether that's a coalition or an alliance.' He did rule out working with Labour under Keir Starmer, though. Ellie Chowns agreed to an extent 'cooperation is in the DNA of the Greens' and didn't rule out joining forces with Corbyn or Labour, especially if it meant staving off a rise for Reform, but argued the party in its current form has a much broader appeal than the former Labour leader. But it's an unlikely political leader that has most driven both candidates: Nigel Farage. For Chowns, it spurred her decision to go into politics aged 40. Polanski isn't a fan either, but does concede the Reform leader has been incredibly successful in driving political change, and wants to be the Left's answer to him. He is pitching to be an Eco-populist leader – representing 'the 99% versus the 1%. The 1% are those corporations that are destroying our environment, our communities and our democracy'. Populism Chowns is less keen to associate her co-leadership campaign with the term: 'I'm a little bit nervous of the word populism. I'm more focused on popularity for the Green Party. And I think there is a distinction. You know, populism can be associated with simplifying language, with, you know, one kind of grey leader type approach to politics. And I think that what the Green Party has shown through recent years of our success is that we've achieved popularity by reaching out to that widest possible range of people.' The debate has been bruising at times – especially when Adrian Ramsey struggled to say he liked his deputy turned political rival Zack Polanski – something Polanski told me had been 'really crap' to hear. 'I think on a human level, it's horrible to hear someone not be able to say they like you… Has [the debate] been bruising? Yes. But I'm really pleased it has been because we've been having a proper debate about proper issues that really matter.' Ultimately, there isn't much difference in the two sides' offerings. Both accept it mainly boils down to style over substance and who they are trying to appeal to. Whichever candidate emerges at the helm of the Greens will have a defining influence on the shape of any future left-wing alliance. Watch more here: Green party sets out aim to counter 'Labour's message of doom and gloom' Which issues helped the Green Party gain the most seats in their history? The Green party's £160bn spending plans explained
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour 'forced to stump up £2m' as party settles claims over leaked anti-Semitism dossier
Labour has stumped up a reported £2million after settling claims brought by 20 people featured in a leaked internal document about anti-Semitism in the party. The cases have been settled after the group of mainly ex-employees took action over alleged defamation or the unauthorised use of personal data. According to The Guardian, the payouts will total just under £1million but with Labour paying both sides' legal fees the party's overall bill will be near to £2million. The controversial 860-page document was produced under Jeremy Corbyn 's leadership of Labour and contained private email and WhatsApp messages. The report claimed factional hostility towards Mr Corbyn hampered Labour's efforts to tackle anti-Semitism during his leadership. It was originally intended to be submitted to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) inquiry into Labour's approach to dealing with anti-Jewish hate. The unredacted document was leaked in April 2020, shortly after Sir Keir Starmer succeeded Mr Corbyn as Labour leader. The settlements are said to include a payout to Labour's former elections chief Patrick Heneghan. He was allegedly falsely accused in the dossier of having tried to sabotage Mr Corbyn's chances of winning the 2017 general election. The document was also said to have defamed Josh Stolliday, a former director of Labour's governance and legal unit. He reportedly took action over the leak of private messages and 'false and damaging' claims that he tried to obstruct action on anti-Semitism in order to undermine Mr Corbyn. It is understood the claims were settled prior to last year's general election, although the details have only emerged now. The total legal costs for Labour connected to the dossier is now estimated at more than £4million. Court documents previously revealed Labour spent about £2.4million on its own abandoned lawsuit against five former staffers accused of leaking the internal report. Martin Forde QC was chosen by Labour to chair an inquiry into the 'circumstances, contents and release' of the dossier in 2020. He found that both Labour's left and right wings treated the issue of anti-Semitism as a 'factional weapon' when Mr Corbyn was leader. A Labour spokesperson said: 'The Party welcomes the resolution of this matter.'
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Greens aren't Left-wing enough for alliance, says Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out an alliance between his new political party and the Greens. The independent MP claimed the Green party was locked in an 'eternal, riven debate' over what they stood for and suggested the party was not Left-wing enough to formally join forces with. However, the former leader of the Labour Party said he would be willing to work with the Greens on specific issues. Mr Corbyn's decision to launch Your Party – a temporary, placeholder name – with fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana has ignited calls from some campaigners to unite the Left of British politics. But Mr Corbyn told the commentator Owen Jones in an interview posted on YouTube that 'we're not forming an alliance' with the Greens. He said: 'Would we work with them? Yes, on issues. Generally we would agree on environmental issues, we would agree on social justice issues. 'They are not a socialist organisation and they seem to me into an eternal, riven debate between trying to appeal to a sort of semi-conservative voting suburban electorate as opposed to a committed, environmentally conscious electorate. 'So yes, we work with them in Parliament and yes, we would co-operate, but we're not forming an alliance with them. 'They don't want to form an alliance with us. But we do recognise each other's positions and I think we will come to some good positions and good agreements in the future.' The Green Party is currently in the middle of a leadership election and contenders are split on whether to work with Mr Corbyn's party. Zack Polanski, one of the candidates, said he was 'open to working with anyone who's up for challenging the far-Right threat of Reform and this unpopular Labour government'. He told The Guardian: 'Exactly what this might possibly look like with regard to any sort of arrangement is a bridge I'll cross further down the line and will be in the hands of Green Party members. The new party doesn't exist yet, and 2029 is some way off.' But Adrian Ramsay, who is running for the leadership on a joint ticket with Ellie Chowns, warned that 'becoming a Jeremy Corbyn support act is not the right direction for our party'. The result of the Green Party's leadership election will be announced on Sept 2. The election was called after Carla Denyer announced her decision not to stand again in May. The We Deserve Better campaign group has said the Left must unite to win power. It has said that 'everything now depends on unity between the Green Party, independents and the new Left party' and it is calling for a formal electoral alliance.
