Jezza’s clearly not impressed with Comrade Sultana. Earlier this week she decided it would be a good idea to blast Corbyn for “capitulating” on the definition of antisemitism as Labour leader. Now Jeremy’s hit back…
Speaking to Middle East Eye, Corbyn said:
“Well I think it wasn’t really necessary for her to bring all that up in the interview, but that’s what she decided to do. The party did adopt the IHRA definition. Personally I was more in favour of the Jerusalem declaration, which is simply saying antisemitism is wrong…”
They’re yet to appear in a joint interview since launching their new unnamed party. Even so, a quarter of Labour members are still turning their heads…
A quarter of the Labour membership could back Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘Your Party’ at the next general election. According to new polling by Survation, 28% of the Labour membership – around 93,000 voters – are considering abandoning the party in favour of the Corbyn-Sultana show. 59% want Labour to be more left-wing…
Jeremy is loving it:
“For too long, people have been denied a real political choice. Not any more: 700,000 people have already signed up to build a real alternative to inequality, poverty and war. One based on public ownership, wealth redistribution, housing justice and peace. This is just the beginning. We are an unstoppable movement and we are never going away.”
Now the party just needs a name and an agreed leadership structure, which is apparently easier said than done. Their first conference is set for the autumn…
Jeremy Corbyn has given a ‘wide-ranging’ interview with Tribune magazine, in which he discusses everything from “his hopes for the new Left party” to “coalition building“and his “determination to overcome sectarianism on the way to forging a truly democratic form of modern socialism“. Right. In any case, Zarah Sultana’s name is not mentioned once…
Corbyn does at least acknowledge the potential “disagreements” that may emerge, as they always do:
“I am a believer in the power of unity through democracy. Yes, this new party is going to generate disagreements and divides. We should be open and honest about them, and rely on democratic institutions to work through them in a constructive and productive way.”
Guido has previously reported on the teething problems within the Corbyn-Sultana Your Party project, other than the name. Corbyn insists he doesn’t want “endless battles over who is on what national committee”. Good luck…
Guido hears the teething problems within the Corbyn-Sultana Your Party project continue. Other than sparring over the name of the party itself and whether Corbyn was even joining it in the first place, issues remain over the group’s leadership and mission. Who does what, what’s this all for, how does it work…
Sources say Team Corbyn is in charge of the website and data handling. On policy, Sultana’s allies are keen to promote a broader ideological agenda on LGBT rights and so on, while Comrade Corbyn wants to focus on Gaza, “nationalising everything” and inequality. The Corbyn side of things is run mostly via WhatsApp.
Likewise, Sultana is interested in a centralised party with a traditional membership structure and a clear policy agenda; Corbyn wanted a more grassroots, ‘community led’ group. Which might explain his initial reluctance to publicly throw his weight behind his comrade…
Corbyn and Sultana’s new party website is branded with an image from a violent 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in London. Must be the inspiration for the project…
The one image on the site is of a series of fists held aloft in a crowd – which it turns out is taken from a series of photographs from the 2020 London BLM protests. The BBC reported at the time: “A total of 27 police officers were hurt during anti-racism protests in London.. Protests on Saturday – sparked by the death of George Floyd – were largely peaceful, but were marred later by disturbances outside Downing Street.” Subsequent photos in the gallery show protesters clashing with the Met…
Guido isn’t sure the British public are that keen to return to the bizarre lockdown-fuelled violence of the imported US protests from five years ago. The launch of ‘Your Party’ – which isn’t registered with the Electoral Commission – was rocked yesterday by the fact that its name is apparently only temporary. Couldn’t organise a…
Jeremy Corbyn has finally spoken out following Comrade Sultana’s plan to form a new far-left party last night. He just released a statement claiming “we can create something that is desperately missing”. He also congratulated Sultana for her “principled” decision to leave Labour…
“Real change is coming.
One year on from the election, this Labour government has refused to deliver the change people expected and deserved. Poverty, inequality and war are not inevitable. Our country needs to change direction, now.
Congratulations to Zarah Sultana on her principled decision to leave the Labour Party. I am delighted that she will help us build a real alternative.
The democratic foundations of a new kind of political party will soon take shape. Discussions are ongoing — and I am excited to work alongside all communities to fight for the future people deserve.Together, we can create something that is desperately missing from our broken political system: hope.”
Note two things: There is no confirmation of a party launch and there is no confirmation that Zarah will co-lead it. She jumped the gun…
Gabriel Pogrund claimed last night that Corbyn was “furious and bewildered” at how Zarah had launched their new lefty love-in prematurely. There were also reports this morning Sultana was on the brink of expulsion from Labour via a decision of the National Executive Committee and so had jumped before she was pushed. She has since insisted that was “categorically untrue.” That would explain the rushed tweet. Going well so far…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”
