By Aditi Khanna
London, Sep 2 (PTI): Former Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn on Monday announced the formation of a new pro-Palestinian “Independent Alliance” with four newly elected British Muslim members of Parliament.
Indian-origin Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mohammed and Pakistani-origin Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain joining hands with Corbyn now represent the same strength as the far-right Reform UK, Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and one more than the four-MP Green Party and Plaid Cymru of Wales.
The Independent MPs, who all contested the July 4 general election on a strong anti-Israel platform, have aligned forces as an official parliamentary group to increase their chances of being chosen to take part in House of Commons debates and committees, which are proportional to party size.
“We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a Parliament of despair,” the new Independent Alliance said in a statement.
“Already, this government has scrapped the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, voted to keep the two-child benefits cap, and ignored calls to end arms sales to Israel. Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard,” the statement notes.
“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. The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better. Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world,” the MPs added.
Corbyn, 75, contested as an Independent candidate from his London constituency of Islington North after being expelled from the Labour Party for claiming the scale of antisemitism in the party was “dramatically overstated”.
He went on to decisively defeat Labour’s chosen candidate, British Indian Praful Nargund, in the general election. While Shockat Adam unseated Labour stalwart Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South, Iqbal Mohamed bagged more than 40 per cent of the votes in Dewsbury and Batley. Meanwhile, Ayoub Khan was elected MP for Birmingham Perry Barr and Adnan Hussain for Blackburn in northern England.
All five MPs making up the new Independent Alliance have been united by their very vocal stance over the conflict in Gaza and demanding the UK stop all arms sales to Israel.
By aligning forces with fellow Independent MPs, the group expects to be better represented during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) and other regular debates in the Commons, which is back in session this week after a summer recess.
