UK: Independent pro-Gaza MPs announce formal alliance as parliamentary group
The five independent MPs elected on a pro-Palestinian platform in July have formed a parliamentary group called the ‘Independent Alliance’.
Jeremy Corbyn, formerly the leader of the Labour Party, was re-elected as an independent - while the four other MPs, Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed, were elected for the first time and unseated Labour MPs.
Corbyn told Middle East Eye on Monday: "We were elected to Parliament to represent our communities - and today's announcement is about making sure their demands are properly represented.
"A collective voice is a stronger voice. We will ensure the government knows the true scale of public disgust over its continued, shameful refusal to end arms sales to Israel.
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"We are a movement for peace - and we are not going anywhere."
The five MPs issued a joint statement on Monday saying: “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 independents have previously worked together to issue joint statements on issues like Israel's war on Gaza.
But the new arrangement is expected to give them the same parliamentary strength as Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage, which has five MPs.
Parliamentary groupings are more likely to be allocated question and speaking slots by the Speaker of the House on a regular basis.
The development comes after Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch claimed on Monday while launching her campaign that the independents were elected on the back of “sectarian Islamist politics, alien ideas that have no place here”.
The Independent Alliance said it would aim 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.”
The grouping further suggested it wanted more MPs to join, saying: “Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world.”
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