IT was described by many as the “fight of his political life” but Jeremy Corbyn came out of this General Election rather unscathed.
The former Labour leader was comfortably re-elected as an Independent MP in Islington North on July 4, beating his former party’s candidate Praful Nargund by more than 7000 votes.
This was despite trailing in the polls up until election day and lacking Labour’s huge canvassing data and infrastructure.
He told The Sunday National in an exclusive interview days later that it was a “fascinating campaign”.
“I didn't have the comfort zone of just knocking on the door and saying – I'm the party candidate,” he said.
“So we had to knock on every door and explain why I was an independent candidate, what we were saying and what we were offering. And it made the election more real in many ways.”
The left-wing veteran was one of five pro-Palestinian candidates to wrestle seats off Labour – to many a small footnote in an enormous landslide win for the party and its newly minted Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But for Corbyn, it’s also a warning.
As while the parliamentary majority is huge, Labour’s vote share was barely up on the 2019 General Election and 3 million votes fewer than 2017 – when he was leader.
“I think Labour need to be careful of assuming too much out of this victory because it does expose the problems of the electoral political system but also the sense of caution a lot of people had about the Labour manifesto which wasn't exactly an earth shattering change manifesto,” he said.
“Particularly on economic questions. And I'm worried that the UK Government has moved itself into a strait-jacketed duopoly between the main parties on economic direction and that is going to create stress down the line if they can't do anything about child poverty, low wages and inequality.”
While it is still early days, Corbyn told The Sunday National that he sees a progressive alliance developing in Westminster looking to hold Starmer’s government to account on these issues and more – including Gaza.
“Obviously, five of us independent MPs on our own are going to be quite limited in what we can do,” he said.
“But add to that the Greens on many issues, the SNP and Plaid Cymru and a significant bunch of Labour MPs, and I think you'll rapidly see a progressive alliance developing. I’ll be encouraging that.”
Asked whether he has already had discussion with other parties, including the SNP, Corbyn said initial discussions have already gone ahead.
“I take myself to the SNP table in the tea room occasionally. We enjoy tea together and we have a chat,” he said.
“And yes. I have had a chat with a number of colleagues elected from the SNP and Plaid Cymru.”
Corbyn added: “It was only one day in Westminster for the election of the speaker and the initial swearing in so I haven’t had a chance to talk to a lot of people yet but I think from next Wednesday when the state opening takes place, there is a commonality of interest with a large number of people who are going to be MPs.”
Asked whether he could see something larger, perhaps a larger left-wing alliance not unlike the one that recently helped defeat the far-right in France or even a new party developing in the future, Corbyn wouldn’t commit to anything concrete yet.
But he did add that it’s time for a left-wing movement that will offer an electoral challenge “capable of challenging the stale two-party system”.
“”It’s already happening but it doesn’t have a name,” Corbyn added.
“The huge numbers of people going on demonstrations about Gaza and the Middle East indicates that there is a growth of an assertive left within our society.
“And I think the next couple of years are going to show further growth.”
It comes as Corbyn also laid out a political strategy for the left in an article for the Guardian on Friday.
Corbyn will hold monthly “People’s Forums”, which he describes as “a shared, democratic space for local campaigns, trade unions, tenants’ unions, debtors’ unions and national movements to organise” for the future.
These forums, Corbyn said, are the basis of a new grassroots organising model to be replicated “in every corner of the country”.
He added that he has “no doubt” that this movement will offer an electoral challenge “capable of challenging the stale two-party system”, but not before community power has been built “from below.”
“This is just the beginning of a movement which can win with – and for – communities all over the country,” he added.
“It won't necessarily be a political party, but you never know what might develop from it in the future.”
