Is Corbyn poised to set up rival party and deal Election blow to Keir?
SIR KEIR Starmer faces the spectre of a rival ‘real Labour’ party led by Jeremy Corbyn, friends of the ex-party leader claimed last night.
They said that Mr Corbyn would decide ‘within weeks’ whether to launch a new political movement to capitalise on Leftwing disaffection with Sir Keir.
It would be ‘an anti-war movement’ that would appeal to Muslim voters who believe the Labour leader has betrayed them for not initially backing a ceasefire in the Israeli/Gaza conflict. Only yesterday, Labour insiders told The Mail on Sunday that even Sue Gray, Sir Keir’s chief of staff, thought his early response to the crisis was too ‘anti-Palestinian’.
Last night, critics of Sir Keir, who has gone out of his way to distance his party from the Corbyn era, warned that a moveexpected ment led by the former leader would be ‘Labour’s Reform’ because it could split the party’s support just as Richard Tice’s Reform UK party could divide the Tory vote.
However, allies of the Labour leader dismissed that, claiming internal party analysis had shown Muslim voter disaffection would cost Sir Keir hardly any seats at all. Mr Corbyn is already widely to line up as an Independent at the next election in his Islington North seat after he was banned from standing as a Labour candidate following a bitter row over anti-Semitism in the party when he was leader.
But friends of Mr Corbyn revealed last night that he was now seriously considering launching a new political party to field candidates at the next election. One said: ‘It would be an anti-war movement and it would resonate across the country.
‘There’s many people concerned about what’s happening in Gaza, not just Muslim voters. But it would be wider than that. It could tap into environmental concerns with Starmer now backtracking on his commitment to spend £28billion a year greening the country. Jeremy has a name recognition on the streets Starmer can only dream of.’
He added that Mr Corbyn was now unlikely to stand for London Mayor this May.
Last night, Labour declined to comment on Mr Corbyn’s future plans. But a party spokesman denied that Ms Gray had disagreed with Sir Keir’s stance on Gaza.
Mr Corbyn was approached for comment.