Sure, you’ve heard it all before. A new left movement that is going to rise from the ashes of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party and take the ‘collective’ fight to the elitist warmongering duopoly in the general election – fielding independent candidates.
You were told these new movements and parties would stand candidates here, there, and everywhere, and how every decision from major policy to what brand of tea bag the movement ‘leader’ should use would all be decided internally and democratically.
You were told a load of old nonsense, to be honest, and invariably your hopes were shattered and your activism was exploited for someone else’s vanity project.
The Corbyn era generated unprecedented feelings of hope, particularly amongst young people, yet not one movement has capitalised on this hope and asked the 200,000 plus departing Labour Party members to put their faith into a new left movement, based on some very simple principles that we can coalesce around and use as the foundations for a new political party.
General election: bring on the independents
You might be thinking the Green Party are an option, and you’re right, in many constituencies they will be the only party that should be backed in an attempt to break the duopoly.
But if an independent candidate and socialist is standing, take a look at what they stand for and consider giving your vote to them. We have to start somewhere, and that is here and now.
I’m not here to endorse other political parties, they wouldn’t want my endorsement anyway, but common sense would tell you to back a TUSC candidate over a Labour candidate, or a Workers Party candidate over a Tory.
But, after much research and coffee, I would like to introduce you to Collective, and the independent candidates or smaller party ones, they are backing at the general election on 4 July.
When you get to the end, please have a think about adding to our membership. If you want the sort of “change” that scares the living daylights out of an establishment lickspittle such as Keir Starmer, keep on scrolling.
Also, nobody has done more than the Canary to give a platform to independent candidates at this general election, and I’m bloody grateful they’re giving us the opportunity to amplify these brilliant candidates – so please support them here.
My friends, hope has got a new home.
Who are Collective? We are Collective.
Something is happening in Britain. Over the past 12 months millions of people have taken to the streets all over the country to protest against an unprecedented cost of living crisis, the climate emergency, and an unfolding genocide backed by both the government and official opposition.
Now more than ever is the time to start building a mass movement that will eventually transform into a new political party, one that can take on both the Tory-Labour establishment and our rigged political system to restore democracy and hope for all.
We support calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to decades of Israeli impunity. This movement builds on the 5 demands of the Peace and Justice Project:
- Real Pay Rise for All
- Green New Deal
- Housing for the Many
- Tax the Rich to Save the NHS
- Welcome Refugees and World Free from War
The Collective-backed independent candidates for the 2024 general election
Candidate: Jeremy Corbyn
Constituency: Islington North
Jeremy says:
With your support, I will continue to use my voice in Parliament to defend the transformative policies this country needs.
This future is no pipedream. Our community is proof that a kinder world is possible. Every week, I visit community centres, run by remarkable people supporting those in need.
I meet mutual aid groups who are building a new economy, one act of kindness at a time. I meet carers who give up their lives to meet the needs of others.
If we applied these values to society as a whole, then we could create a society that cares for each other and cares for all.
Incumbent: Jeremy Corbyn, Independent
X handle: @jeremycorbyn
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Claudia Webbe
Constituency: Leicester East
Claudia says:
I have always spoken truth to power. I am passionate about tackling poverty, inequality and injustice. I believe in an international agenda based on peace, justice and humanity.
I am proud to represent the place where I was born, grew up, went to school, college, university and where I first worked.
I believe a society where so few have so much and so many have so little is immoral. We need a firm break from the current political consensus. I stand for transformational change and principled politics that puts planet and people before profit. I am on your side.
Incumbent: Claudia Webbe, Independent
X handle: @ClaudiaWebbe
Volunteer: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Andrew Feinstein
Constituency: Holborn and St Pancras
Andrew says:
Our democracy is in crisis. The two main parties are virtually indistinguishable in their offers of permanent austerity, forever wars and environmental degradation.
Keir Starmer, the MP for Holborn and St. Pancras where my family and I have lived for around 22 years, is emblematic of this crisis. His politics are mendacious, unprincipled and in the interests of his billionaire donors rather than the constituents he was elected to serve.
I have seen real leadership in action: I was privileged to serve under Nelson Mandela as an MP in South Africa. His leadership was selfless, principled, accountable, transparent and honest. Everything that Keir Starmer is not.
Incumbent: Keir Starmer – Labour
X handle: @andrewfeinstein
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Leanne Mohamad
Constituency: Ilford North
Leanne says:
Our community is being ignored by those in power, from not voting for a ceasefire in Gaza to pushing for NHS privatisation.
Ilford North has flipped between Conservatives and Labour, but no positive, lasting change has been made. Instead both parties allow energy and water companies to make record profits whilst we choose between heating or eating.
Incumbent: Wes Streeting – Labour
X handle: @LeanneMohamad
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Pamela Fitzpatrick
Constituency: Harrow West
Pamela says:
I said I was standing and people’s response was, you’ve made my day – I can tell people that there is somebody finally that you can vote for who is actually going to do something for the community.
So many people have asked me to stand because they’re disillusioned with the two parties that we have. I’m standing to make a difference and fight for a society based on need, not greed.
Incumbent: Gareth Thomas – Labour
X handle: @pamelafitz4HW
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Sam Gorst
Constituency: Liverpool Garston
Sam says:
As an independent socialist, my views should be obvious. If in doubt, I stopped being a Green Party activist and member and joined Labour on 28th July 2015. I was inspired by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
I had my newborn daughter, Skylar and wanted the policies he offered for her. It was Corbyn’s 2017 manifesto that would have lifted so many out of poverty and distributed wealth much more fairly.
I am standing against Labour’s Maria Eagle in Liverpool Garston. Her voting record makes clear that she is a pro-capitalist and unconditional in waging wars against our Arab counterparts.
She is against the working class and achieving world peace.
I am now aligned with both the manifestos of For the Many Network and Merseyside Pensioners Association.
Incumbent: Maria Eagle – Labour
X handle: @CllrSamGorst
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Mohammad Hafeez
Constituency: Birmingham Hall Green
Mohammad says:
I am standing because, under Keir Starmer, there has been a noticeable shift away from the Labour Party’s core values, leaving many of us feeling betrayed and disillusioned with no clear difference between the two main parties.
I am a practicing Barrister here in Birmingham with more than 25 years of experience in the legal profession.
Beyond my legal practice, I have also served as the Chairman of an established charity, where I have actively engaged in numerous community-related projects.
Incumbent: Tahir Ali – Labour
X handle: @VoteHafeez
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Sean Halsall
Constituency: Southport
Sean says:
Since getting involved in politics in 2018 I’ve dedicated my life to empowering our communities. Whether that’s supporting the local youth club, helping a domestic violence CIC get set up, or helping with clearing allotments and building a thriving community there.
Southport deserves a voice that will speak up for the people who live here. Southport deserves a voice that is not tied to voting along party lines. Party lines that can be often against the interests of the residents here.
Incumbent: Damien Moore – Conservative
X handle: @HalsallSean
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Kamel Hawwash
Constituency: Birmingham Selly Oak
Kamel Says:
Birmingham Selly Oak can choose between the incompetent Conservatives, Labour with its leader’s broken pledges and an independent who will represent the constituents to the best of his ability in Parliament.
Let us make the 4th of July the Independents’ day.
Incumbent: Steve McCabe – Labour – retiring
X handle: @kamelhawwash
Donate: here
Candidate: Tanushka Marah
Constituency: Hove and Portslade
Tanushka says:
I am an award-winning theatre director and mother of two who felt the need to take a stand against UK complicity in genocide. As a British Palestinian, I want to see an end of UK support for Israeli apartheid and the occupation of Palestine.
I have mentored young people in creating theatre in Brighton and Hove for 15 years, opening access to theatre and culture to children from low-income families.
I am standing as an independent candidate against Labour MP Peter Kyle, who is vice chair of Labour Friends of Israel. Labour has abandoned support for a Palestinian state and opposed ending UK arms supplies to Israel during its war on Gaza.
Incumbent: Peter Kyle – Labour
X handle: @tanushkamarah
Volunteer: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Tahir Mirza
Constituency: East Ham
Tahir says:
It’s time to unite against a Labour Party that, in some aspects, has become indistinguishable from the Tories.
My track record is clear: I’ve dedicated my life to advocating for human rights, from Palestine to Kashmir to the Rohingya crisis. I’ve staged three 24-hour hunger strikes outside the House of Parliament, drawing attention to homelessness, Universal Credit and charity for Gaza struggles.
As a foster parent for a decade, I’ve nurtured numerous children who now contribute positively to our communities.
It’s time to reject career politicians who’ve served as MPs for over forty years without significantly improving people’s lives. I commit to donate 10% of my salary to local charities in East Ham.
Incumbent: Stephen Timms – Labour
X handle: @TahirMirza01
Donate: here
Candidate: Ann San
Constituency: Liverpool Wavertree
Ann says:
I am a mum, nanna and proud to be an NHS nurse working in both hospital and community settings in the inner city of Liverpool for the last 34 years.
I have witnessed first hand the grinding poverty and deprivation that people in this great city have endured under the Conservative Government. I am a long-standing activist and have campaigned against wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and the genocide in Palestine.
I have campaigned against the political attacks on the Health Service and Social Care and supported strikers on picket lines. I was a long-standing member of the Labour party but left when Keir Starmer started to betray the core principles of Labour.
Incumbent: Paula Barker – Labour
X handle: @Ann4Wavetree
Donate: here
Candidate: Jabu Nala-Hartley
Constituency: Oxford East
Jabu says:
Standing up for what’s right is a lonely long walk to freedom. We must engage our consciences with a sense of a moral obligation to one another as humans.
I am standing as a candidate for Oxford East. I know entering this race against big party machines sounds terrifying, but did the story of David and Goliath not teach us to face the unthinkable? We have a victory to win.
Incumbent: Anneliese Dodds – Labour
X handle: @NalaTanagra
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Fiona Lali
Constituency: Stratford and Bow
Fiona says:
Workers and young people have had enough of the lies, sleaze, and corruption of the British political class. From stripping our economy for profit, to supporting genocide in Gaza, it’s clear that none of them represent the majority of the public.
We need to get rid of these war criminals. We need to get rid of the system that lines their pockets. We need fundamental, revolutionary change.
Incumbent: New constituency
X handle: @fiona_lali
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Dr Ammar Waraich
Constituency: Birmingham Edgbaston
Dr Ammar says:
I am Edgbaston’s independent parliamentary candidate for peace, justice, and democracy.
I am a doctor who works at the local Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I went to school in Edgbaston, I have lived in Edgbaston, and I have taught in Edgbaston at the University of Birmingham.
Like many of us, I’ve been outraged at the indifference of the mainstream parties towards the genocide in Gaza, their failure to uphold our democratic and humanitarian values, and address the ever growing inequalities between us.
This election is a vital opportunity for you to vote for the change you want. And I hope you will trust me with your vote.
Incumbent: Preet Gill – Labour
X handle: @VoteDrAmmar
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Shanell Johnson
Constituency: Leyton and Wanstead
Shanell says:
As your Independent candidate for MP, I am committed to empowering Leyton and Wanstead. Together, we can address every issue, big or small, and build a brighter future. This is our home, and we will solve problems together.
I stood down as a Labour Councillor because the party moved away from my values. I could not stay silent about the indiscriminate bombing of innocent children in Gaza, the racism, and the abandonment of social values.
Incumbent: John Cryer – Labour
X handle: @Shanell4Change
Support: here
Donate: here
Candidate: Dave Nellist
Constituency: Coventry East
Dave says:
In Coventry East, and 39 other constituencies, we are campaigning to elect a socialist working-class fighter who will fight for all the radical issues Jeremy Corbyn fought for, but Keir Starmer has dropped.
If elected again, I would fight for every possible improvement for working people. In this rich country, everyone should be able to afford a warm home, have a well-paid job, and have access to free education and health while protecting our environment. If the system can’t afford that, we need to change the system along socialist lines to one that works for us.
I was a socialist Labour MP from 1983 to 1992. Labour expelled me for playing a leading role in the mass non-payment of Margaret Thatcher’s Poll Tax. From 1998 to 2012, I was a Socialist Party city councillor in Coventry.
I have always believed that elected political office should be the same as being elected a shop steward. So, for all my years in public office, I have only taken the same wage as a skilled local factory worker. I would do the same again today.
Incumbent: New constituency
X handle: @davenellist
Donate: here
Join Collective
You can join Collective today and become a big part of a new mass left movement that will become a new political party to challenge the Labour/Conservative duopoly.
Click here for the Collective website, Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.
Featured image via Rachael Swindon
