Five independent MPs – including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – have formed a new group.
The Independent Alliance parliamentary group, launched today, consists of former Labour leader Mr Corbyn, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, and Iqbal Mohamed.
They were all elected as independent MPs for the first time in July, with all five taking a pro-Palestine stance in Labour-supporting constituencies with large Muslim populations.
Mr Adam unseated leading Labour politician Jonathan Ashworth to become MP for Leicester South, while Mr Corbyn won the Islington North seat he had held since 1983 as a Labour MP before he was ousted from the party.
With five MPs in the House of Commons, the group is the same size as Reform UK and the DUP, and larger than the Greens, who have four MPs.
By becoming an official parliamentary group, they increase their chances of being chosen to take part in debates and committees, which are proportional to party size.
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A statement from the grouping of five MPs said: “We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a parliament of despair.
“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.
“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.”
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A total of six independent MPs were elected in July, the most amount ever.
Alex Easton, the former leader of the DUP who was elected as independent MP for North Down, is the only one not part of the group.
