The Independent Alliance is a parliamentary faction in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom comprising five members of Parliament (MPs) who were elected as independents.[1][2][3] The group is not a political party, but a technical group within Parliament.
Independent Alliance | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Collective leadership |
| Founders | |
| Founded | 2 September 2024 |
| House of Commons | 5 / 650 |
The Independent Alliance was formed on 2 September 2024 by Jeremy Corbyn, formerly leader of the Labour Party, alongside Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed. All five members were elected as independent MPs in the 2024 United Kingdom general election. The formation was in part to gain more time to speak in parliament.[1][2][4]
Upon its formation, the Independent Alliance became the joint fifth-largest grouping in the House of Commons, ahead of the Green Party of England and Wales and Plaid Cymru with four MPs each, and tied with Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party with five MPs each.[1][2][3]
In the Independent Alliance's first statement, the group stated their opposition to austerity, the two-child benefit cap, the sale of arms to Israel, and the abolition of the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners.[1][2] The Independent Alliance welcomed other MPs to join the group,[1][2] in reference to seven MPs who were suspended from the Labour Party in July 2024.[1][2][5]
History
editBackground
editIn the 2024 United Kingdom general election the Labour Party won a landslide victory but a record 6 independent candidates were also elected.[5]
Three of the new independents—Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, and Shockat Adam, defeated Labour incumbent MPs. Iqbal Mohamed was elected to the new constituency of Dewsbury and Batley, the predecessors of which voted Labour in 2019. The results were suggested to be in part a push-back against Labour's stance on the Israel–Hamas war, Gaza humanitarian crisis and issues regarding Islamophobia in the Labour Party.[6][7]
Several more seats won by Labour in 2019 came close to being won by independent candidates—Ilford North, Bradford West, and Bethnal Green and Stepney all saw Labour come within 5% of losing.[8][9]
In Islington North, incumbent MP Jeremy Corbyn had been forbidden from standing as a Labour parliamentary candidate by the Labour Party NEC despite "unanimous support" from his Constituency Labour Party (CLP).[10] After announcing on 24 May 2024 that he would stand as an independent candidate, he was fully expelled from the Labour Party.[11] Corbyn was comfortably re-elected against the Labour candidate with a majority of 7,247.[12][13]
On 23 July 2024, the Scottish National Party (SNP) tabled an amendment to the kings speech to scrap the two child benefit cap. Labour whipped its MPs to vote agains the SNP amendment, resulting in the amendment being rejected by 363 no votes to 103 ayes. Despite the whip, seven labour MPs rebelling by voting to abolish the cap, and were suspended from the party for at least six months.[14][15] The seven Labour MPs suspended were John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana.[14][15]
Shortly after, Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed produced a joint letter decrying the two major parties and stating the need for a caring alternative."[16] Corbyn went on to say he was disappointed with Labour's actions, but dissmissed the idea of forming a new political party as premature.[17] Instead Corbyn and Adam said they would continue working with Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, and Iqbal Mohamed.[16][17][18] The five informally worked together with the Greens in tabling motions, and reached out to cooperate with the seven suspended Labour MPs.[16][18][19]
Formation
editOn 2 September 2024, Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed announced the formation of the Independent Alliance.[1]
During the launch of her leadership campaign, Kemi Badenoch alledged the MPs had been elected due to "sectarian Islamist politics", and said the group was more worrying than the rise of the right-wing Reform UK.[20][21] In a joint statement, the five MPs of the alliance condemned the comments as dangerous and Islamophobic, particularly in the aftermath of the 2024 UK riots.[20][21] Ayoub Khan attributed death threats and harassment targeted at him to Badenoch's comments.[21]
Policy aims
editIn its first statement, the MPs of the Independent Alliance declared:
Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard. As individuals we were voted by our constituents to represent their concerns in parliament on these matters, and more, and we believe that as a collective group we can carry on doing this with greater effect.[22]
The group's MPs call for an end to austerity policies as well as the two child benefit cap.[1][2] The Independent Alliance also advocates public ownership of water and other utilities, expansion of workers' rights, redistributive tax system, an increase of public investments, and a proportion electoral system.
In regards to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing Israel invasion of Gaza, the MPs of the group call for a total arms embargo on Israel, an end to the "illegal occupation and settlement policy" of Israel, and immediate recognition of the State of Palestine.[20]
Members of Parliament
editAs of its formation in September 2024, the Independent Alliance's members are:
| Name | Constituency | First elected | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shockat Adam | Leicester South | 4 July 2024 | 2 September 2024 |
| Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | 9 June 1983 | 2 September 2024 |
| Adnan Hussain | Blackburn | 4 July 2024 | 2 September 2024 |
| Iqbal Mohamed | Dewsbury and Batley | 4 July 2024 | 2 September 2024 |
| Ayoub Khan | Birmingham Perry Barr | 4 July 2024 | 2 September 2024 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Elgot, Jessica (2 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn to Form Alliance With Four Independent Pro-Gaza MPs". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Morrison, Hamish (2 September 2024). "Independent MPs, Including Jeremy Corbyn, Form 'Alliance' to Challenge Labour". The National. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Independent Alliance: Jeremy Corbyn and four independent MPs form new group". Sky News. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Marsh, Alex (2 September 2024). "Corbyn forms new group in Parliament with four other MPs". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b Francis, Sam (2 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn Forms New Commons Group With Four Pro-Gaza MPs". BBC News. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Stacey, Kiran (5 July 2024). "Senior Labour figures admit stance on Gaza cost party seats". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Ford, Robert (7 July 2024). "Labour put 'safe' seats at risk to target marginals. It paid off – but there's a cost". The Observer. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ Mulla, Imran. "UK election 2024: British-Palestinian Leanne Mohamad narrowly loses to Labour's Wes Streeting". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Kieran. "Labour's Jess Phillips wins seat by less than 700 votes against candidate who said trans people are 'danger to society'". LBC. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Allegretti, Aubrey (18 May 2023). "Jeremy Corbyn tells local Labour party he wants to carry on as their MP". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Jeremy Corbyn confirms he will stand against Labour in Islington". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Dyer, Henry (5 July 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn re-elected in Islington North after expulsion from Labour". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Tahir, Tariq (5 July 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn Re-elected: Chants of 'free Palestine' as Former Leader Beats Labour". The National. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b Francis, Sam; Eardley, Nick (23 July 2024). "Labour suspends seven rebel MPs over two-child benefit cap". BBC News. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b Bienkov, Adam (24 July 2024). "Keir Starmer's Suspension of Seven Labour MPs for Voting to Scrap the Two Child Benefit Cap is the Politics of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings". Byline Times. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Gye, Hugo; Vaughan, Richard (24 July 2024). "Corbyn trying to form rebel alliance to fight Starmer after Labour benefits revolt". inews. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b Marsh, Alex (25 July 2024). "Corbyn 'disappointed' with Labour and vows to work with suspended MPs". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Jeremy Corbyn in talks to form new group with independent MPs". BBC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ * Penny, Eleanor; Denvir, Daniel (16 August 2024). Jeremy Corbyn on Palestine, the Labour Party, and Global Solidarity for the Verso Podcast (Video). Verso Books. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- Penny, Eleanor; Denvir, Daniel (5 August 2024). "The Future of Global Politics w/ Jeremy Corbyn, Laleh Khalili & Daniel Denvir". The Verso Podcast (Podcast). Verso Books. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Corbyn's new pro-Gaza UK parliamentary bloc slams Kemi Badenoch's 'Islamophobic slur'". The New Arab. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Riley, Henry (4 September 2024). "MP in Jeremy Corbyn's Independent Alliance blames Kemi Badenoch's 'Islamist' slur for death threat". LBC. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ Elgot, Jessica (2 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn to form alliance with four independent pro-Gaza MPs". The Guardian.