British MP Zarah Sultana Resigns from Labour Party, Plans New Political Party with Jeremy Corbyn
London, July 4, 2025 —
British Member of Parliament Zarah Sultana announced on Thursday that she is resigning from the Labour Party and joining former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in launching a new political party.
Since losing the Labour whip last year, Sultana has been serving as an independent MP representing Coventry South in the House of Commons. In a statement, she confirmed her decision.
“I am resigning from the Labour Party,” she said. “Jeremy Corbyn and I, alongside other independent MPs, activists, and campaigners from across the country, are leading the formation of a new party.”
Sultana strongly criticized the current state of British politics, saying,
“Westminster is broken, but the deeper crisis lies within the two-party system—where all we see are managed decline and broken promises.”
She cited her suspension from Labour as a turning point.
“A year ago, I voted to scrap the two-child benefit cap—a policy that, if repealed, would have lifted 400,000 children out of poverty. For that, Labour expelled me. I would do it again. I also voted against cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners. I would do that again too. Now the government wants to punish disabled people—though they haven’t decided just how much pain to inflict yet.”
She concluded her statement with a call to action:
“Join us.”
In an interview with ITV, Jeremy Corbyn confirmed that he and several independent MPs—who have formed a group called the "Independent Alliance"—are in discussions about forming a new political party.
When asked directly, he did not rule out the possibility of launching a new party.
“This group will come together. There will be an alternative,” Corbyn said.
The Independent Alliance includes four other independent MPs:
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Shaukat Adam (Leicester South)
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Ayub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr)
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Adnan Hussain (Blackburn)
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Iqbal Mohammed (Dewsbury and Batley)
All four won recent by-elections, defeating Labour candidates. Their campaigns prominently criticized the Labour Party's stance on the Gaza conflict.
The alliance now matches Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party in parliamentary strength, each holding five MPs, and has surpassed the Green Party and Plaid Cymru, both of which currently have four MPs each.
Corbyn, who has served as an independent MP since being expelled by Labour leader Keir Starmer in 2020, has long hinted at launching a new political platform based on socialist values and pro-Palestinian advocacy.
This development could present a serious challenge to the Labour Party, which has shifted toward the political center, as it may split the center-left vote.
Outlining the goals of the potential new party, Corbyn said it would prioritize “a foreign policy rooted in peace, not war—instead of poverty and inequality.”
