A SIGNIFICANT shift is emerging in the political landscape of the United Kingdom, as former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana have announced the launch of a new left-wing political movement. In July this year, the duo unveiled Your Party, which has already attracted over 700,000 members in a remarkably short period. The party鈥檚 name will be finalised at its founding conference in December. The new movement poses a serious challenge to prime minister Keir Starmer鈥檚 Labour Party and could reshape the country鈥檚 political dynamics.
Your Party鈥檚 foundational principles are centred on a progressive agenda focused on wealth redistribution and social justice. Key policies include: Redistribution of wealth through higher taxation on the wealthiest, re-nationalisation of essential public services such as electricity, water, rail and postal services, protection of the National Health Service and a firm resistance to privatisation, the establishment of social housing, robust environmental protection, and a commitment to social justice and equality. On foreign policy, the party advocates for disarmament, opposition to war, an immediate halt to arms sales to Israel, and support for an independent Palestinian state. The formation of Your Party signals a major reorganisation of left-wing politics in Britain.
Since the 1980s and the rise of Tony Blair鈥檚 鈥楴ew Labour,鈥� the Labour Party has embraced a more market-oriented, centrist stance, sidelining its internal left. Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 leadership (2015鈥�2019) briefly revived leftist momentum, but this was short-lived. Following Labour鈥檚 2019 general election defeat, new leader Keir Starmer purged Corbyn and much of the party鈥檚 left-wing faction.
Amid controversies over Brexit, allegations of antisemitism, and electoral defeat, Corbyn stepped down in 2020. A long-standing critic of Israel鈥檚 policies towards Palestine, he was branded 鈥榓ntisemitic鈥� by the Zionist lobby. Under Starmer, Labour has continued its shift to the right, despite its historic mission to represent working people.
Early polls suggest Your Party could secure several seats in the next election. Its core support is likely to come from disillusioned Labour voters, former Green Party supporters, low-income people, young people including students and urban Muslim and minority voters 鈥� once loyal Labour supporters.
While sharing some environmental and social justice policies with the Green Party, Corbyn has ruled out a formal alliance, arguing that the Greens are not sufficiently left-wing. Optimists believe, however, that a joint front could win 20鈥�30 seats and form a powerful left bloc in parliament.
This left realignment comes alongside a surge on the far-right, with Nigel Farage鈥檚 Reform UK gaining ground and threatening the Conservatives. After 14 years in power, the Tories are widely seen as ineffective, divided, and out of touch. Their long tenure鈥攗nder May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak 鈥� has been marred by COVID-19 rule breaches, austerity policies, benefit cuts, high inflation, and political instability.
In the 2024 general election, the Conservatives suffered their worst defeat in modern history, falling from 365 seats to 121, with their vote share dropping from 43.6 per cent to 24 per cent. Reform UK, led by Farage, captured about 14 per cent of the vote and five seats, performing strongly again in the 2025 local elections. Positioning himself as the 鈥榯rue conservative voice,鈥� Farage has drawn in disillusioned voters with populist, anti-system rhetoric.
Reform UK鈥檚 main policies include hardline anti-immigration measures, privatising the National Health Service, scrapping the net-zero climate target, cutting government spending, expanding police recruitment, and promoting fierce nationalism and Euroscepticism. Its rise could split the right-wing vote, reshaping the next election鈥檚 outcome.
British political culture has historically favoured gradual reform over revolution. The English Civil War (1642鈥�1651), which led to the execution of King Charles I and the abolition of the monarchy, remains the country鈥檚 only major revolutionary episode. Although the constitutional monarchy (without executive power) was later restored, the transfer of power to parliament marked a historic blow against absolute rule and feudal power.
Mass movements such as the Chartists (1838鈥�1850s) for universal male suffrage and the suffragette movement in the early 20th century show how popular pressure can drive reform. Large-scale revolutions have been rare, in part because British institutions have historically been flexible enough to adapt. Ideological rigidity is not a defining feature of British politics; reformism and pragmatic realism dominate.
For decades, the Labour Party acted as the main vessel for the left, preventing a truly independent left-wing force from emerging. If Corbyn鈥檚 new party can step out from Labour鈥檚 shadow, it could mark the birth of a distinct and independent left movement in Britain.
Friedrich Engels once remarked that England might be the only country where a social revolution could occur 鈥榚ntirely by peaceful and legal means,鈥� but warned this would happen only if the ruling classes 鈥榬espect this peaceful and legal revolution鈥�. He doubted they would. British history shows the state鈥檚 readiness to repress dissent 鈥� whether in its colonies or at home 鈥� from crushing 19th-century workers鈥� movements and nationalist uprisings to violently suppressing the suffragettes and the 1984鈥�85 miners鈥� strike. The 2010 use of 鈥渒ettling鈥� tactics against student protesters is a more recent example.
Globally, liberal politics has failed 鈥� reflecting the failures of liberal capitalism itself. British liberalism has also reached a dead end. In this neoliberal era, the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 new party comes at a time of deep political flux. The need for a strong left 鈥� committed to opposing inequality, defending rights, and resisting war 鈥� is more urgent than ever, not only for Britain but for the world.
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Dr Akhter Sobhan Masroor is a writer and former student leader of the 1990 mass uprising.
