Sultana quits Labour to co-lead ‘real alternative’ as former leader edges closer to political comeback
Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is in talks to form a new leftwing political party—just hours after Zarah Sultana dramatically announced she was quitting Labour to co-lead the project.
The Coventry South MP, known for her outspoken stance on the two-child benefit cap and strong pro-Palestinian views, declared late Thursday that she was walking away from Labour to help found what she called a “real alternative”. Her announcement came as a shock to some on the party’s left flank, with insiders saying it may have jumped the gun.
Corbyn, who remains MP for Islington North, stopped short of endorsing a full-fledged party launch but said “democratic foundations” were taking shape and confirmed that discussions were underway.
In a statement posted on X, the former Labour leader congratulated Sultana on her “principled decision” to leave the party, and praised her role in building a new platform. “Together we can create something that is desperately missing from our broken political system: hope,” he said.
The move marks the clearest signal yet that Corbyn is preparing to step back into political leadership—though he has reportedly been cautious about taking on a formal title. Allies say he favours a more horizontal structure to avoid early factionalism within a potential new coalition of disaffected Labour MPs and grassroots campaigners.
Corbyn was suspended from Labour in 2020 over his response to the party’s antisemitism report and blocked from standing as a Labour candidate in 2024. Since then, he has positioned himself as a key voice on the political fringes, championing Palestine, economic justice and civil liberties.
Sultana’s resignation from Labour underscores growing unrest among the party’s left, which has accused the Starmer leadership of abandoning progressive causes. But whether Corbyn’s new formation will attract further defections—or fizzle in infancy—remains to be seen.
