Labour’s show of strength on the doorknocking rounds

HERE we go again? Former colleagues look set to become election rivals once more with a new left wing party being put in place before next year’s crunch council elections.

The ruling Labour group at the Town Hall is now likely to face some of the party’s former members when the borough goes to the polls to decide who should run the council.

It is only a year since long-held allegiances in Islington were tested when activists were asked to choose between Labour and Jeremy Corbyn, the man who had been their MP for more than 40 years.

Now Mr Corbyn, re-elected as an ­indepen­dent MP last July, has been heavily linked to the formation of a new national party.

Zarah Sultana, the Coventry South MP, had announced last Thursday she was quitting Labour to co-lead it with Mr Corbyn.

But, in a chaotic week, it remained unclear what it would be called, who would actually be in charge and when there would be more clarity.

Mr Corbyn told the Tribune that his general election campaign, in which he defied a ­determined Labour bid to unseat him, had “kickstarted a new way of doing politics” and had been “just the beginning” of something new.

He added: “We will keep campaigning to end child poverty, support disabled people and end the genocide in Gaza. And we will keep fighting for real change.”

But several local activists said they felt the announcement of a new party had been mismanaged, and were privately worried that the haphazard nature would only feed into Labour loyalists’ narrative that those on the left are unable to organise effectively.

Jeremy Corbyn, the independent MP for Islington North

One Corbyn supporter, who quit Labour to canvass for him last year, told the Tribune that it seemed like a “false start”, adding: “It seems to be typical Jeremy, being non-committal. It was premature because they clearly hadn’t discussed it enough.

“I can understand why Zarah did it, she’s fired up, pissed off with the Labour Party. She resigned at a strategic moment and wanted to say she was moving on to something else. The feeling I get from other people is mixed. People admire Zarah but they wait on Jeremy a bit and will follow him.”

But Councillor Phil Graham, who quit Labour last year and now sits on the Town Hall benches as an independent, said that he would campaign under whichever “umbrella” Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana eventually provide.

He said: “The announcement has got things moving, and already 75,000 have pledged support. Having the emblem and the name is less important than the support. It’s the idea that’s out there now that there’s a new political movement coming.

“There’s still talks about structure but we know we’re aligned with anti-austerity and pro-Palestine.”

Independent councillor Ilkay Cinko-Oner also welcomed the formation of a potential new party.

She said: “My personal view is that it’s a long time coming, and I’m happy to be part of any movement that Jeremy will lead.”

But there will be familiar battle lines drawn with Islington Labour, and the local party was quick to slam the creation of a new Corbyn-led party, saying it would be “disappointing” to compete against candidates on the left.

In a statement to the Tribune, they wrote: “Islington North Labour is disappointed if, as reported in the press, there will be left candidates standing against Labour in the local elections in 2026.

“We believe it is only through the sometimes difficult path of uniting behind Labour that progress is made – in health, education and social justice.”

Despite this, officers from Islington North CLP were quick to say that they did not view the challenge as a threat, adding that they remained confident of “massive wins” at next year’s council elections “even if it is a tough time for Labour nationally”.

They said: “Since the general election last year, Labour has won two council by-elections in Islington North, against candidates with support from the MP, Jeremy Corbyn. We’re regularly on the doorsteps explaining our local achievements, listening to voters. People in Islington recognise the fantastic progressive achievements of Islington’s Labour council, in our diverse borough.”

Labour activists out leafleting

Behind the scenes several Labour activists have suggested they are aware of how big a fight they have on their hands, however.

Labour councils often find it harder when the party is in power nationally and local elections can be used to send a message to prime ministers.

Controversial policies on welfare and the winter fuel payment cuts ­have come up on the doorstep despite national policy retreats.

Meanwhile, speculation has started as to whether a Corbyn-inspired new party might make a deal with the Greens in Islington, standing aside in certain wards so as to not draw votes away from one another.

Councillor Benali Hamdache, who leads the Greens, would not commit to any pacts.

He said: “The new party is still forming, and it’s still not clear what it looks like and who will be running it. I can’t comment on what the future looks like. I will note the Green Party has stood in every local election for a long time, and that’s a line informed democratically at party conference.”

He added: “We know in a lot of places the Greens are the main challenger to Labour, and in some places it is the Islington Independents.

“I think a lot of voters will be thinking strategically and thoughtfully, and I think that’s healthy for local democracy.”