FORMER Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced on Monday the creation of a new pro-Palestinian "Independent Alliance" in the House of Commons, consisting of four newly elected British Muslim members of parliament.
Indian-origin MPs Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mohammed, along with Pakistani-origin MPs Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain, have joined forces with Corbyn, forming a group with the same strength as the far-right Reform UK and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The group also surpasses the four-MP Green Party and Plaid Cymru of Wales by one.
These Independent MPs, who contested the July 4 general election on a strong anti-Israel platform, have organised themselves as an official parliamentary group to enhance their chances of participating in House of Commons debates and committees, which are allocated based on party size.
"We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a Parliament of despair,” the new Independent Alliance said in a statement.
The statement further criticises the government for its recent decisions, including scrapping the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, maintaining the two-child benefits cap, and continuing arms sales to Israel.
The MPs emphasised the need for a "real alternative to austerity, inequality and war," adding that the voices of millions deserve to be heard.
The MPs stated that as individuals, they were chosen to represent their constituents' concerns in Parliament on these matters and more. They believe that by working together as a collective group, they can be more effective. They also expressed their openness to other MPs who share their vision of a more equal and peaceful world.
Corbyn, who contested as an Independent from Islington North after being expelled from the Labour Party for his remarks on antisemitism, won decisively against Labour's candidate Praful Nargund.
Shockat Adam unseated Labour's Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South, Iqbal Mohammed secured more than 40 per cent of the votes in Dewsbury and Batley, while Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain were elected MPs for Birmingham Perry Barr and Blackburn, respectively.
The five MPs in the Independent Alliance have been united by their vocal stance on the Gaza conflict and their demand for the UK to halt arms sales to Israel.
By forming this alliance, the group aims to secure better representation during prime minister's Questions (PMQs) and other debates in the Commons, which resumed this week after the summer recess.
(With inputs from PTI)
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