Independent Alliance: Four Muslim MPs and Jeremy Corbyn Form New Parliamentary Group
Four of the Muslim MPs who were involuntarily expelled from the UK Labour Party for demanding their party support Palestinians over Israel in recent conflicts, Jeremy Corbyn, MPs Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed have been named as forming a new parliamentary group called the Independent Alliance, providing parliamentary representation as does automobile company owner Richard Tice’s Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party from Northern Ireland but one more.
The independent alliance has pledged to fight austerity and campaigns for issues such as the winter fuel allowance, the two-child benefit cut, and sales of arms to Israel. The group has also invited other MPs, including the seven Labour MPs suspended for rebelling against the two-child benefit cap.
In a statement that the five MPs released on Monday, they said they would offer hope to the people in what they called the ‘parliament of despair’. They accused the government of removing the winter fuel allowance for about 10 million pensioners, retaining the two-child benefits cap, and exporting arms to Israel. The MPs pointed out that tens of millions want a radical change to the policies of austerity, inequality, and war, and they said they will communicate this frustration collectively from now on.
It also pointed out that they are open to accepting other MPs who have the same ideas of creating a world of a socialist, sustainable, and humane society and thus indicated that they want to expand the Independent Alliance. The group is not a recognised party with representatives in the parliament but seeks to get more parliamentary time for questions and motions, a party without a leader.
One of the group’s members, Adnan Hussain, formally declared the Independent Alliance through Twitter. He indicated his pleasure in forming a collective group with four other people, including Jeremy Corbyn. The group’s formation is an important stage in their cooperation, which starts with addressing letters to the government and making statements on important topics.
The Independent Alliance was quick to reply to comment on the remark made by Kemi Badenoch, a Tory leadership contender who criticised the five MPs for ‘sectarian Islamist politics. ’ These remarks made by the Tory candidate, the MPs said, were intended to garner support for the far-right wing of the Tory party and was a blatant act of Islamophobia. Other MPs expressed concern regarding the fact that such commentaries can lead to escalation of the tensions in the nation, especially in the backdrop of the recent far-right riots.
The group demanded that Badenoch withdraw her comments, saying she had only exacerbated the problem with her words. Even though she did not want to single out people like Nigel Farage, the group referred to the recent poll, which revealed that most Britons looked to the likes of Farage and such leaders for the riots.
The Independent Alliance was on Tuesday very vocal on issues to do with the international arena by demanding a complete and outright ban on the supply of all forms of weaponry to Israel. This demand came after the UK government suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel because a recent review showed that there is a likelihood of the items being used in a way that will breach humanitarian laws. The MPs were clear in stating that this should be the first step in stopping all arms exports to Israel, underlining their position of the need to advocate for justice all over the world.
