Are Welsh parties of the left feeling the heat from Jeremy Corbyn’s new party
Ioan Phillips
Nation.Cymru’s esteemed associate editor wrote an excellent piece last month, assessing what implications the new left-wing party, launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, might have for next year’s Senedd election. (And, for the record, he didn’t tell me to open so obsequiously.)
This got me thinking about how Wales’ established parties of the left are feeling regarding the prospect of facing the new party, one that claims one of the most recognisable politicians in the UK as 50% of its public face, including whether they’d be prepared to work with it should no single party obtain a majority.
Welsh Labour passed me to a UK Labour source, who said: “This is all completely hypothetical. No new party has been registered with the Electoral Commission; they don’t have a name, leader, or policies; nor any stated intention on where they would stand.”
Bullish
Plaid Cymru, leading in some polls, are clearly feeling bullish. A party spokesperson told me: “Next year, Wales has a real opportunity for a new kind of government, with bold, principled leadership under Plaid Cymru.
“In the face of a rising populist right and a Labour Party under Starmer that lacks urgency and direction – and which turns a blind eye to the needs of Wales – Plaid Cymru is offering something different: a party rooted in Wales, shaped by our communities, and driven by a deep commitment to social justice and equality.
“We are a democratic party that believes in the power of progressive politics and the importance of diverse voices. But in Wales, if you’re looking for a party that is ready to lead government and fight for a fairer, greener future, Plaid Cymru is where that energy and hope lives.”
‘Liberal vision’
Meanwhile, the Welsh Liberal Democrats took aim at Jeremy Corbyn himself. A party spokesperson said: “The Welsh Liberal Democrats are focused on building on our record-breaking success in last year’s general election to provide our own liberal vision for the future of Wales.
“In the past, Jeremy Corbyn has shown he does not share many of our values, having played a damaging role in the UK’s exit from the EU, and helping to prolong Conservative rule when the country needed change. He also showed repeatedly during the 2017-2019 parliament that he was unwilling to work cross-party on many issues.
“We will continue to offer a distinct liberal version of Wales that is pro-European, green, socially liberal and with a thriving private sector.”
Collaboration
The Wales Green Party’s response was more conciliatory, with leader Anthony Slaughter saying: “As Greens, collaboration is in our DNA. We’ll work with anyone who shares our goals to cut people’s bills, control rents, and tackle the nature and climate emergencies.
“We’re laser-focussed on getting our first Greens into the Senedd, so that we can fight for the change Wales desperately needs.”
Three main conclusions emerge from the responses of the established parties.
First, no one, bar the Greens, wants to touch the c-word: coalitions. The way the Welsh electoral system is geared makes it likely that some form of arrangement between two or more parties will be needed in 2026. You’d imagine that there’s enough common ground for some degree of co-operation between the established parties of the left and the new party, particularly if it meant keeping a right-wing bloc from gaining power.
Second, the established parties of the left are, for the most part, trying to highlight their respective policy platforms. That said, it’s hard for any of them to claim insurgency (even Plaid) after more than a quarter of a century in which every government has been some combination of Labour with either Plaid or the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
Third, the established parties of the left could, conversely, use their local longevity to their advantage. Some of the highest-profile supporters of the new party forged their careers in UK-level politics, yet they’re now claiming to have a unique perspective on what Wales needs. (Plaid is probably best placed to pull off this line of attack, but don’t be surprised to see others aping it.)
There remain many unknowns about the ramifications of this new left-wing party – but its advent certainly adds another dimension to the fluid and volatile environment that goes by the name of Welsh politics.
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Corbyn has been tested. He failed. Hope this doesn’t result in Labour split and Farage in.
The former private schoolboy gifted the Tories 2 General Elections, so Jezza’s on a hat-trick.
600,000 people signing up as supporters of Your Party (by the end of July) doesn’t look like failure to me.
No it sounds like entryism
He failed due to the MPs who are largely tories. The membership backed him to the very end. Had the MPs actually stood by him, even if it was just pay lip service, maybe frustrate a policy or two but otherwise support the will of the manifesto… he’d have been fine.
To say the tories defeated him is to give waaay too much credit to them.
Corbyn is a closet brexiteer (I honestly had no clue during the election from his commentary). He was the leader, he flip flopped around on many things, he failed. the kicker? Against Johnson, a liar and a cheat.
I fear rinse and repeat.
It was Starmer, whilst Brexot Shadow Secretary, who forced Corbyn to adopt the policy of a second referendum. That contributed to him losing tge 2019 election.
While true, this is a very unpopular view that often gets rewritten.
No, he said that being in the EU was better than being out. When pressed, he said he would give it 7 out of 10. That is not what a “closet Brexiteer” would say, although it is what someone making the mistake of thinking the public intelligent enough to understand would say.
That assessment is very revealing.
A true progressive would say it’s a good partnership compared with no partnership but let’s work with fellow progressives from across Europe to make it a great partnership that can be a platform for changing the world.
He didn’t say this because he’s not a progressive. He doesn’t have a vision for a better future. He wants to return, like many small-c conservatives, to some halcyon time in the past. To his youth.
That’s right. Corbyn is a conservative. A regressive in progressive clothing.
” I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for Remain against either No Deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy and jobs.” Corbyn in July 2019.
Typical uniformed nonsense. Corbyn did much more campaigning for remain than literally anyone else.
The country decides who wins elections, not MPs, not members of a particular party. Like with Brexit, he showed contempt to the electorate by constantly hiding his extremist politics, knowing so many would find them unacceptable.
He was defeated by the Tories, despite having a bufffoon leading them.
The buffoon was hugely popular at the time because he promised everything to everyone and hadn’t been found out.
“Extremist politics” like nationalising the railways, and ensuring that everyone had access to broadband? And if he hid them, how do you know about them? The Overton window is so far to the right in the benighted UK, that social democratic policies such as these are considered “extremist”.
Labour is not the Left, outside of Wales.
Sadly, the awful electoral system imposed on the 2026 election by the Labour Party – who, with a breath-taking degree of entitlement just took it for granted that they would be top dogs come next May – does not give any room for electoral pacts. You could not have, in one constituency, an agreement to run a joint candidate – that would inevitably get messy and trip up those parties’ campaigns in other seats. We can only hope that future Senedd elections will be on a fair STV system.
Quite so. It is difficult to see this new party doing anything other than splitting the left vote, if it stands. Little chance of getting anyone elected. Anyhow at this pace, they will run out of time to meaningfully engage with the Senedd election.
As much as I think that Corbyn is a principled and great politician, the likes of which we rarely see… I can’t see him making much inroads into Wales unless he’s going after Labour and the Liberal Democrats… and maybe the Left wing of the Tories. Wales already has Plaid Cymru and Labour and the Labour AMs are broadly already onboard with his policies. If anything, it is likely that his party will field joint candidates with other parties like the Co-op did with Labour. Instead I feel like the only places with anywhere to fear from Corbyn’s party is…… Read more »
My only fear is that Your Party may take votes from Plaid Cymru, and thereby damage the independence cause. Apart from that, I wish them every success; a true left -wing party is exactly what England needs right now. By the way, there is no certainty that Corbyn will be the leader, that has not been decided yet.
The Corbyn-Sultana Party (CSP) will be a magnet for the Leninist left (SWP, CPB, SP etc) who will prioritise building their own groups rather than this new one. Coupled with the fact that, apart from Gaza, there are other cracks already in the CSP parliamentary faction. For example, Ayoub Khan (Perry Barr) called for the army to be deployed to deal with the Birmingham bin strike. The CSP is destined to fail and collapse with Leninist vultures waiting to pick over the carcass when it happens. Of course, when it does fall to bits, it’ll be everyone else’s fault (eg… Read more »
It’s going to be a weird mix of left wing LGBT activists and very conservative Islamic supporters!
Funny how when it’s a right-wing party, it’s a ” broad church”, but when it comes to Your Party, it’s a “weird mix”.
Project Fear still a thing then?
Don’t forget to check under your bed tonight, there may be a red under there.
‘Your Party’ seems to have made a rather uncertain start! First, Zarah Sultana announces its establishment, and that she and Mr Corbyn will be its co-leaders. But then Corbyn takes days before he finally confirms his own participation in it, and even then hints that he doesn’t quite take to the notion of the two ‘co-leaders’. And then Sultana publicly reproaches him for not kicking back more decisively against the imputation of widespread ‘anti-semitism’ within Labour during the period of his leadership. And even after quite a time there are still no details – at least that I’ve seen –… Read more »
DJ Eluned v Corbyn, the man who refused to proscribe Al Qaeda. What a choice…
Online bots, mostly from places like Russia and Iran, are promoting Corbyn and have done for many years- just like reform and Brexit. You have to question why, after all these people are backed by experts who know how to brew discontent in western nations!
In 2017 Corbyn got more votes than what Blair had in his individual 3 terms, that’s why the DUP had to prop up The government of Teresa May.
Corbyn lost in 2019 due to a protest vote over Brexit in the Labour Red Wall Seats which were predominantly Leave Area’s during the Brexit Vote.
How Ironic that Corbyn attracted an all time record in Labour Party Membership only for the Membership to now be halved under Starmer.
We definitely need this new party instead of the same baseless fudge of the Tory/Labour Uni party.
Delusional. Corbyn is just a protest politician with a track record of adoring some repugnant, terrible people and organisations. Blair won three elections easily. You have to win power to change a country and Corbyn (thankfully) doesn’t have a chance.
Keep thinking that (if it keeps you happy) while the number of Your Party supporters keeps ticking up…
Is Corbyn still pro-Brexit? He was in 2019. The hard left of the Labour Party always has been. The then leader Michael Foot would have pulled us out of the European Common Market if he’d won the General Election in 1983.
Why don’t the left-left join the Greens, instead of pursuing Corbyn’s politically powerless ego trip cult party?