Former Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn is in talks with four newly-elected independent MPs to form a new group – which would equal Reform and outnumber the Greens in their Parliamentary presence.
Shockat Adam, MP for Leicester South, told the BBC the group was “looking at options that would give us more access to the levers of power". This comes just after Adam told PoliticsHome that “all options were open” when it came to a formal grouping.
Last month, six independent MPs were elected to Parliament – more than ever in modern history. Five of the new independents campaigned on a pro-Palestine platform – Shockat Adam, who unseated Jonathan Ashworth in a shock result for the former Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed, and the former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.
A sixth independent MP, Alex Easton, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the Northern Ireland Assembly, is not involved in the group discussions, according to the BBC.
If the pro-Palestine independents were to come together in a formal group, they would likely have more opportunities to take part in debates and committees, which are often organised according to party size. By hosting joint fundraisers and events, the independents would also be able to secure more funding.
Corbyn did not confirm to the BBC if he would be joining a formal group. “I was elected by my constituents to speak out against the genocide in Gaza, against child poverty and against the demonisation of migrants and refugees,” he said. "I am proud to work alongside my fellow independent colleagues to make sure our constituents’ voices are heard”.
The five MPs have already collaborated on issues relating to the war in Gaza, as well as domestic issues. The loose coalition tabled a series of amendments to the Kings Speech, and collectively reached out to the seven Labour MPs who were suspended from the party for six months after voting in favour of an amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
The independents also collectively wrote to the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, last month, to demand the government immediately suspend all weapons sales to Israel, drop any legal challenge preventing the ICC from issuing a war crimes warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, and recognise the state of Palestine.
The letter, signed by Corbyn, Hussain, Khan, Mohamed, and Adam, claimed the International Court of Justice had accused Israel of committing a “plausible genocide” – which the Internaltion Criminal Court has denied alleging.
Shortly after the election last month, Corbyn met with the four other pro-Palestine independents to discuss forming a loose coalition, according to the Financial Times. At the time, Corbyn, Hussain, and Adam refused to comment on a potential coalition, but Khan and Mohamed said they were keen to work with the other independents to pressure the Labour government to take a stronger stance on Gaza.
With the independents’ election campaigns fairly single-issue, especially Khan and Hussain’s, it is not clear how harmonious a formal coalition would be. “We have commonalities, especially on our foreign policies, et cetera, but we’re just navigating where we are politically on lots of things,” Adam told PoliticsHome. With such an overwhelming Labour majority in Parliament, it is also unclear how much influence the five MPs could have – even as a formal group.
