Jeremy Corbyn, interim leader of Your Party, said, “Politics can, will, and must be done differently,” at his party’s launch event on Monday.
“Politics can, will, and must be done differently”
Mr Corbyn, MP for Islington North, added, “We are supporting the development of a democratic grassroots new party”
At the launch event, speakers were critical of the Labour Party. Reem Faal, an academic, complained about cuts to local services and called for Islington Council to divest from Israel.
Councillor Ilkay Cinko Oner accused the government of being complicit in a genocide against Palestinians.
Outlining his new party’s agenda at The Rock Tower church and community centre, Corbyn called for “democratic ownership of our utilities”, rent controls, and more council housing.
Another speaker at the event, former Labour councillor Phil Graham, explained his decision to leave Labour and join the Islington Community of Independents.
He said: “I’ve had to join the Independents because Labour decided they didn’t want to be Labour anymore… The Labour government have turned their back on the unions.”
“The Labour government have turned their back on the unions.”
Nigel Farage and Reform were described several times as a far-right force that must be opposed.
David Rosenburg, an antiracist campaigner, said: “We have to understand the far-right’s appeal… Sometimes, as antiracists, we spend too much time talking to ourselves… But this fight must be won in our communities.”
Your Party has currently has 50,000 members, falling short of the 800,000 who expressed interest when it was launched this summer.
Sam is an MA Newspaper Journalism student, news blogger, and freelance writer who has previously written for Spiked.