Ex-Labour MPs Sultana, Corbyn Announce Plans for Pro-Palestine UK Party

Zarah Sultana, a Labour MP for Coventry South, has officially quit the Labour Party after 14 years, aiming to launch a new left-wing political party alongside former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Sultana, who had her Labour whip suspended previously, criticized the current UK government under Keir Starmer for its policies, particularly condemning its stance on Gaza as participating in genocide, and called for socialism as an alternative to what she terms 'barbarism'. Corbyn, also suspended from Labour since 2020 and currently sitting as an independent, has expressed intentions to form a new political movement rooted in socialist and pro-Palestine principles, working with independent MPs elected on similar platforms. Sultana's announcement reportedly took Corbyn by surprise as it was made without prior consultation, and both are expected to work with a bloc of 'Gaza independents' MPs focused on foreign policy and social justice issues. The new party aims to challenge the current two-party system, which Sultana describes as offering managed decline and broken promises, while advocating for peace, poverty alleviation, and a break from traditional Westminster politics. This development reflects growing dissatisfaction within some left-wing circles about Labour’s direction and the UK government's handling of international and domestic issues.