Jeremy Corbyn (right) on at the meeting in Huddersfield
Former Labour Party leader and Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn came closer than ever to declaring a new left electoral coalition or political party on Saturday.
He said a new formation would be set up before the English local elections in May 2026— earlier if possible. He said that everyone on the left outside Labour “will want to be part of and support” it.
Hasfsa, a health worker in the audience, told Socialist Worker, “I was so pleased with what Jeremy said. It’s what I have been waiting to hear.
“I am so disappointed with Keir Starmer and horrified by the slaughter of Palestinians. We need a new start that puts justice before personal ambition and listens to the people.”
Corbyn was speaking as around 200 people joined a Conference of Resistance in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
It’s one of several gatherings taking place as people rage against Labour’s betrayals and want to hit back at the rise of Reform UK.
Corbyn savaged the Labour government for its “complicity” with the genocide in Gaza and for attacking disabled people.
Speaking before Corbyn, the former Leicester MP Claudia Webbe said, “The time for a new left political party is now”. She rammed home her point, saying, “This is not a plea, it’s a declaration.”
Liverpool Community Independent councillor Alan Gibbons called for a united left party. He said, “There are lots of independent groups, but unless you have national branding, trade union support, good communications, money, it will all crumble to bits. Let’s get this party started.”
Salma Yaqoob, the former leader of the Respect party, said a new movement had to have “lofty aims but also a way of working together”.
Iqbal Mohamed, Independent MP for Batley and Dewsbury, said, “This Labour government is not the change people voted for. Reform UK is a threat to all.
“We need to be a model of shared principles and solidarity that others can draw inspiration from.”
A new socialist challenge at elections is desperately needed.
The great unanswerable question for the left is when people say, “You don’t want me to vote for Reform UK, who should I vote for?”
Corbyn’s speech— and those from others in Huddersfield— needs to be turned into action. An “umbrella” organisation, with real roots and high-profile support, would be an important step forward.
Candidates would sign up to, for example, six principles.These could be no austerity, refugees welcome and fight racism, LGBT+ liberation, welfare not warfare, free Palestine and real action on climate change.
Candidates would accept these, but could go further than them if they wanted to.
Such a “filter” of basic socialist principles would cut through the infinitely fragmented and divided morass of independents.
A new political party can have its own challenges. We don’t need a Labour Party mark II or a repeat of the shattered promises and betrayals of Syriza in Greece or Podemos in the Spanish state.
These formations prioritised winning elections over struggle, moved rightwards and failed.
A new left formation needs to flow from struggle and have the aim of both confronting the mainstream parties and raising the level of struggle.
It’s the battle in the streets and the workplaces that matters most. But elections do matter and socialists can use them to champion struggle and raise working class people’s confidence to fight back.
We need more socialists challenging Labour and a united left challenge at the elections.
Who organised the meeting in Huddersfield?
The Huddersfield event was organised by People’s Alliance for Change and Equality (Pace). It describes itself as “a newly formed group of campaigners, trade unionists, independents and activists who want to see an end to the cost of living crisis, militarism, inequality and oppression”.
It declared the conference was part of “launching a long-term grassroots movement for justice, democracy and unity locally and beyond”.
A spokesperson said, “As Reform UK makes alarming gains across England’s councils, it’s clear that a serious, community-led alternative is urgently needed.
“Pace stands firmly against racism, austerity and hate and for a future built on equality, solidarity and decent public services.
“This is not just a one-day event. This is the start of a new political force – led by and for working-class people, across all communities.
“It will include those fighting to save local dementia homes, sports centres and to bring an end to the Gaza conflict.”
“Now I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that and that political party needs to be well informed and effective, one that gives our central message of peace, of justice, of equality, of diversity within our society.
“That means that anyone that we support who’s elected to a local authority or to parliament is going to be accountable to their community. It’s going to behave in a democratic way and above all is pledged to redress the grotesque levels of inequality and imbalance that are there within our society.
“A lot of us are working very hard, supporting each other as independents. This whole cause is coming together so that by next year’s local elections, long before that, we’re going to have something in place that is very clear, that everyone will want to be part of and support.
“It’s never hard to find differences of opinion on the left. But look at the reality of people’s lives and what the issues are that have to be faced.
“Hope can be a very powerful development in politics. Reform only offers despair.”
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