A New Party: hard work for an exciting possibility
JVL Introduction
This article welcomes the announcement of what is currently being called “Your Party”. This is the first in a series planned by the online magazine Sidecar, which is part of the New Left Review.
The mainstream is going into a tailspin and demanding answers, for example about leadership, wanting easy, straight answers. I prefer to view what may be considered, at this stage, a “lack of clarity” as a reason for excitement because it means that we can all be part of shaping the Party. That 700,000 have signed up in support or at least for more information, is a sign that there is a real interest in a different sort of politics. Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn, Andrew Feinstein and others are wanting to build from the bottom up; looking, for example at a possible federated structure.
There are risks in this approach but there are greater risks in trying to replicate the sort of centralised, top down edifice that the media are more comfortable with. Here Schneider, rightly in my view, places great emphasis on building up organisations that do exist, such as for tenants, health campaigners and more, creating new ones where needed and new ways of involving and supporting people. The Party must not just be about elections but about change at all levels.
There are and will continue to be attacks, we know that our jobs as JVL – once again – will be to challenge the inevitable allegations of antisemitism but given the horrors everyone is aware of in Gaza – and the West Bank, it will be much harder to make false allegations stick.
Like Sidecar we shall publish more on the New Party; exciting times but there is a lot to sort out and a lot to create and develop. Your comments, as always, are welcome.
LL
This article was originally published by Sidecar (New Left Review) on Fri 25 Jul 2025. Read the original here.
Building the Party
In recent months, a number of groups on Britain’s organised left have discussed the formation of a new national vehicle: either a political party or an electoral alliance. The case for such an institution could not be clearer. The incumbent Labour government is defined by deference to corporate interests, complicity in genocide and repression of dissent. While the Conservative opposition remains fixated on culture wars and tarnished by its long record of misrule, the far-right Reform UK appears to be on track to win a plurality of the popular vote, presenting its Powellite vision as the only viable alternative.
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Why doesn’t JVL drop the “L” from its name?
It is a party that is complicit in genocide.
In his Owen Jones interview, Corbyn said he planned to attend a counter protest regarding migrants hotels. These are where leftists engage in a knee jerk response to the right, shouting “racist” at them and the establishment stand back laughing at both ‘sides’. Absent from Corbyns discussion on this with Jones was any mention of the need for public housing, so all you get from him is useless moralising where he/leftists ends up defending the usage of hotels to stash migrants in just because the right is attacking it at the moment. Lastly, Corbyn will not oppose Zionism because the latter is a tool of Anglo-American imperialism and St Jeremy is a social-imperialist just like Ramsay Macdonald, Clement Attlee and every other labour party leader has been.
Wow., Please do not over elaborate, keep it simple for now at least. There will be a time for the various groupings to thrash out the common polices later. First, let’s get the show on the road. !!. To me, I would be looking for something like a Broad Left Alliance. How about, “People’s Progressive Party” for a name.?
What we do know is, people are fed up with all the main parties. We on the left can offer them an alternative, but we must be clear and concise. And they want it Now!!!. Your readers must know this.
“Broad Left” would be good, but it’s not important yet.
Sorry but reading this, was not easy. I believe we have the best opportunity to make a political change, than we had since Thatcher, that one was wasted under Blair, who morphed into a Rightwing Politician and gave the Elite a streets ahead advantage to change politics, so they stayed in power permanently.
One of their tactics was to get infiltrators to join Labour and work from within, they had already bought the Newspapers, bought the BBC by allowing them to pay their front line members of staff mouthwatering salaries, so they wouldn’t go against the Rightwing narrative, you’ll know what I mean if you watch the News and Political programs, the Bias is unbelievable.
The new Party is a breath of fresh air, the speed and numbers joining has been breathtaking, they are the largest Political Party in Europe, have more members than Tory and Labour combined and still growing, this is proof that the Country will be supporting them at the next GE, I have no doubt about that. I just hope that Left LP MPs, are talking to each other about when is the right time to leave Starmer’s LP and Join the New Party.
Remember they have 4 years to get everything in place.
How about Labour mk2, The Radical Liberal Party, or Far Left Party ?
After reading the article, I have several comments I’d like to share. The writing style is generally clear and accessible, which is a great strength. Streamlining repetitive parts and enhancing the conclusion with a thought-provoking insight or call to action could leave a lasting impression on readers