Political activist criticizes labour leadership, launches initiative to challenge party from the left

Political activist Owen Jones has announced his resignation from the Labour Party, citing dissatisfaction with Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership and the party’s failure to address pressing social issues. Jones claims that Labour “won’t even do the bare minimum to improve people’s lives,” prompting his support for a new political initiative aimed at promoting left-leaning candidates standing against Labour.

The initiative, named We Deserve Better, will endorse candidates from the Green Party and independent candidates in constituencies where Labour’s hold may be vulnerable. Jones highlighted specific contests, including backing Green co-leader Carla Denyer against shadow cabinet minister Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central, and independent Leanne Mohamad against shadow health secretary Wes Streeting in Ilford North. The movement will also support Jamie Driscoll, a former Labour politician, in the upcoming mayoral contest in the North East.

Jones suggested that We Deserve Better could serve as a force pressuring Labour from the left, similar to how Reform UK influences Tory opinion from the right. In his column for The Guardian, he criticized Sir Keir’s stance on Gaza and abandonment of policies championed during his Labour leadership campaign.

Jones expressed that his decision to leave Labour was not rooted in a desire to see the party remain in the political wilderness indefinitely but rather stemmed from a realization that Labour fails to address critical issues and ostracizes those with left-leaning politics. He emphasized the need for a serious challenge to Labour in key seats and criticized the party’s assumption that its base has nowhere else to go.

The launch of We Deserve Better signifies a significant development in opposition to Labour, aiming to provide an alternative for voters who feel disillusioned with the party’s direction under Starmer’s leadership. Jones concluded by asserting that Labour’s base has been alienated and that the upcoming election will offer voters an alternative based on the “politics of hope