FAR-LEFT MP Zarah Sultana has quit Labour to team up with her pal Jeremy Corbyn and form a new socialist party.
Ms Sultana whinged that “Westminster is broken” as she tore up her membership to focus on a new Pro-Palestine outfit.
PALabour MP Zarah Sultana has resigned after 14 years[/caption]
AlamyThe MP said she would be co-leading a new party with Jeremy Corbyn[/caption]
The MP for Coventry South was already sitting as an independent after having the Labour whip removed last summer for defying Sir Keir Starmer and voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
Ms Sultana was also on course to have her party membership stripped, The Sun understands, after repeatedly accusing Sir Keir of being “complicit in genocide”.
In a ranting statement on X, she said: “Today, after 14 years, I’m resigning from the Labour Party.
“Jeremy Corbyn and I will co-lead the founding of a new party, with other Independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country.
“Join us. The time is now.”
The 31-year-old added: “A year ago I was suspended by the Labour Party for voting to abolish the two-child benefit cap and lift 400,000 children out of poverty.
“I’d do it again. I voted against scrapping winter fuel payments for pensioners. I’d do it again.
“Now, the Government wants to make disabled people suffer; they just can’t decide how much.”
Responding to Ms Sultana quitting, swathes of Labour MPs described their delight – and how they only wished it happened sooner.
Backbencher David Taylor said: “Went before she was kicked out, and good riddance.”
Gurinder Singh Josan added: “Zarah is back in the irrelevance of the far-left.
“And the Labour Party will get on with the serious business of government.”
Ms Sultana engaged in a fit of rage on Wednesday after MPs backed the Government’s move to ban lefty activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
Legislation passed in the Commons as MPs voted 385 to 26, majority 359 in favour of proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The motion is expected to be debated and voted on by the House of Lords on Thursday before it becomes law.
It came after group Palestine Action claimed the damage on two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton was carried out by them.
A Labour spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.
“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”
This comes as Rachel Reeves finally broke her silence over her tearful Commons wobble – as she and Sir Keir Starmer put on an awkward show of unity.
The Chancellor admitted she was “upset” and blamed a “personal issue” for her emotional display in Parliament.
But she refused to reveal any more, saying: “Clearly I was upset yesterday and everyone could see that.
“It was a personal issue and I’m not going to go into the details of that.
“My job as Chancellor at 12 o’clock on a Wednesday is to be at PMQs next to the Prime Minister, supporting the Government and that’s what I tried to do.”
She also insisted she was “totally” up for the job.
Her comments came after scenes of her emotional display – caught on live TV – sparked speculation around her future.
Her emotional state and Sir Keir’s initial refusal to explicitly back her in the Commons yesterday sent the pound down nearly 1 per cen and borrowing costs surging at one of the fastest rates since the Liz Truss mini-Budget crisis.
Scrambling to draw a line under 24 hours of intense scrutiny, the Chancellor was hastily drafted in for the launch of the Government’s 10-year-plan for the NHS.
She also shared an awkward hug with Sir Keir as he insisted he would stick with her “for a long time to come” .
He told Virgin Radio: “She is an excellent Chancellor, she will be Chancellor for a very long time to come – into the next election and beyond it.
“She and I are absolutely committed to our fiscal rules and the economic stability that is so important to this country.”
“That is why she is here today and I am very glad she is.”
Money markets earlier panicked at the prospect of a change of Chancellor and possible abandonment of her spending rules.
UK ten-year borrowing costs surged to 4.6 per cent and the Pound fell by one per cent against the Dollar to less than $1.36.
Tuesday’s gutting of the welfare reforms left Ms Reeves needing to plug a bigger hole in public savings — either by spending cuts, tax rises or borrowing.
In her first year in the job, Ms Reeves has faced fierce criticism over winter fuel, welfare cuts, the National Insurance raid, sluggish growth, taxing farmers and taking freebies.
Zarah Sultana’s full statement Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
