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Jeremy Corbyn confirms launch of new party, citing UK complicity in Israeli crimes

Former Labour leader launches movement with Zarah Sultana, stating that current system is 'rigged'
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn asking a question in the House of Commons, in London, on 23 October 2023 (AFP/Maria Unger/UK parliament)
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn asking a question in the House of Commons, in London, on 23 October 2023 (AFP/Maria Unger/UK parliament)

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that he is launching a new political party alongside fellow independent lawmaker Zarah Sultana. 

In a joint statement published on X on Thursday, the two said that the system was “rigged” when the current government “says there is no money for the poor, but billions for war”.

The pair also cited UK complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza as reason for the need for an alternative party.  

“It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in your communities, trade unions and social movements. One that builds power in all regions and nations. One that belongs to you.”  

Sultana quit the Labour Party earlier this month, announcing that she would co-lead the founding of a new party with Corbyn, the former Labour leader. 

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The two called for a mass redistribution of wealth and power, by bringing several privatised utilities into public ownership, and “standing up to fossil fuel giants”. 

“Meanwhile, millions of people are horrified by the government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. Now, more than ever, we must defend the right to protest against genocide,” they said, referring to Israel’s war on Gaza. 

“We believe in the radical idea that all human life has equal value. This is why we will keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel, and for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine.” 

They went on to say that problems in society were not caused by migrants or refugees, but by an economic system that “protects the interests of corporations and billionaires”. 

The statement concludes with a link to a website “to be part of the founding process” of the party, which will culminate in an inaugural conference. 

The party does not have a name yet, and it has not yet been announced which other political figures, alongside Corbyn and Sultana, will be involved. 

Sultana was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party last year after she and six other Labour MPs defied the government and voted to scrap a cap on child benefits for those with more than two children. 

She has been a particularly vocal critic of the Labour government's continued political, economic and military ties with Israel.   

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Earlier this month, Corbyn, who was suspended by Labour leader Keir Starmer in 2020 and stood as an independent in the 2024 general election, said he would host a “Gaza tribunal” in order to determine the extent of British complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza. 

Corbyn had earlier attempted to pass legislation in parliament for an independent public tribunal, similar to that on the Iraq war, on the British role in the conflict.

At the beginning of June, he told Middle East Eye that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government needed to decide whether it would support an inquiry or “block our efforts to expose the truth”.

On 4 July, the Labour government blocked the attempt during a reading of the bill.

The UK has supplied Israel with arms during the course of its military operation in Gaza, which is confirmed to have left close to 60,000 people dead and has involved the ethnic cleansing of most Palestinians from their homes in various parts of the territory. Around 80 percent of buildings and homes have been destroyed.

According to Corbyn’s media office, the unofficial tribunal would be held in September and will involve testimony by survivors of Israeli attacks, international law experts and whistleblowers, among others.

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