INDEPENDENT MPs have formed an alliance to boost their parliamentary voice – in a bid to step up their ability to hold Labour to account.
The group of five, which includes those elected on a pro-Palestine platform and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, will stand on a par with Reform and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed and Corbyn will work together under the banner of the Independent Alliance and hope this will get them more speaking time in Parliament.
There are currently 13 MPs sitting as independents in the Commons, after Keir Starmer (above) suspended six Labour MPs for voting to end the two-child benefit cap.
The failure of those suspended from Labour to join the new group suggests they could harbour hopes of regaining the party whip.
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In a joint statement, the Independent Alliance MPs said: “We were elected by our constituents 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.”
They added that they believed that by working as a “collective” they would have “greater effect” in their efforts to challenge Labour.
They said: “The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better.
“Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world.”
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