In a perfect storm for Starmer, next week may see the birth of a Left-wing Corbynista party

The new movement could be every bit as disastrous for Labour as Reform has been for the Tories

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Daily telegraph 

28 June 2025 

For some, this coming week sees an alignment of the stars. For others, it’s a perfect storm. Not only is the Government facing division and humiliation over two key crunch votes – the first on its already defenestrated welfare proposals and the other on the proscription of Palestine Action – but it’s widely reported that a new Left-wing party, led by none other than Labour’s former leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is set to launch.

Early polling suggests the new party could enjoy the support of ten per cent of the electorate, damaging both Labour and the Greens. It’s hardly a mould-breaking moment, but any high-profile Left alternative is the last thing our beleaguered prime minister needs right now.

Despite Labour’s 170-seat majority secured a year ago, the party still feels bruised over the loss of four formerly “safe” seats to independent pro-Gaza candidates, plus, of course, the loss of Islington North after Corbyn himself was prevented from standing as a Labour candidate and went on to win as an independent. And it’s likely that the new party will be keen to woo a handful of whipless Labour MPs who have yet to be welcomed back into the fold after they rebelled over the two-child benefit threshold last July.

Starmer suspended seven of his MPs over their refusal to support the continuation of the threshold originally introduced by the Conservatives. Since then, four have been restored to the party’s embrace while three – former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana – remain suspended with no indication that the whip will be restored to them this side of the next general election. That being the case, none of them would have anything to lose by hitching their star to Corbyn’s new vehicle.

Following a truly disastrous week for the prime minister, the next seven days might actually eclipse it. After months in which he insisted the welfare reforms, aimed at cutting benefit costs by a modest £5 billion, would not be watered down, Starmer did exactly that on Thursday evening as a concession to more than 100 Labour MPs who had threatened to vote against them. 

Hot on the heels of the Government’s humiliating reversal over the Winter Fuel Payment and the Prime Minister’s unprompted admission in a newspaper interview that he “deeply regrets” using the phrase “Island of strangers” in his recent anti-immigration speech (a speech that is primarily known for the phrase he now disavows), it is little wonder that speculation as to how long he can remain at Number 10 has been re-energised.

Even after promises to maintain Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for existing claimants, whips still expect there to be a rebellion on Tuesday of at least a dozen Labour MPs, and maybe more, unhappy with the principle that welfare should ever be reduced. 

And the debate and vote on Wednesday to designate Palestine Action – after their RAF Brize Norton antics last week – as terrorists will reveal the extent of discontent with the Government’s unexpectedly robust approach to direct action. It will be fascinating to see if that unhappiness extends beyond the usual suspects in the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.

And as the parliamentary drama unfolds, the latest addition to the plethora of Britain’s smaller parties will be announced. The first-past-the-post electoral system does not treat newcomers to the political arena well, but Corbyn’s new party will further split the Labour vote, making Reform UK’s advance easier.

Next week ends with the first anniversary of the 2024 general election. But there is little for Labour to celebrate and Keir Starmer might be advised to leave his party hat locked inside his red box.