Collective (organisation)
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Collective | |
|---|---|
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| Secretary-General | Pamela Fitzpatrick |
| Founders | Karie Murphy Pam Fitzgerald Justin Schlosberg |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Membership | 4,000+ |
| Political position | Left-wing[1] |
| Regional affiliation | Collective Scotland |
| Colours | Grey |
| Website | |
| we-are-collective.org | |
The Collective is a left-wing political organisation in the United Kingdom that was founded in 2023 by Karie Murphy, British trade unionist and former executive director of the leader of the opposition under Jeremy Corbyn.[2] Pamela Fitzpatrick is the director of the Collective.[3]
The Morning Star reported that Collective has merged itself with smaller political groups in 2025 and plans to become a major leftist party with Jeremy Corbyn becoming its interim leader. Discussion about the founding of a new party have been largely organized by the organisation.[4][5] Collective also reportedly plans to have seats in the next UK general election, specifically about a dozen MPs.[6]
History
[edit]On 15 September 2024,[7] days after Independent Alliance was formed, Jeremy Corbyn attended a private meeting held by Collective. The attendees of the event included Len McCluskey, Karie Murphy and Jamie Driscoll. Corbyn gave an opening speech at the event, with founders of the party saying that they are going to begin "drawing up democratic structures" for a new party to launch. An unnamed source said that Corbyn's attendance was not official endorsement of Collective and that he was there only to "listen and share a variety of views about the way forward for the left".[8][9] Other people who attended the meeting included former Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, film director Ken Loach and South African politician Andrew Feinstein.[10]
Corbyn's former adviser, Andrew Murray, speaking in a podcast by GB News, said that that discussions about a new party had started since Corbyn was kicked out of the Labour Party. He said that the name of the new party would be choosen by its members and that "Collective" or "Arise" could be possible choices.[11] The Morning Star said that two plans for the establishment of the new party were being considered: the first plan would involve Corbyn joining Collective as interim leader; in the second plan, he would join a new unnamed party with Zarah Sultana as co-leader.[2]
Platform
[edit]Collective said that it was created to "drive the formation of a new, mass-membership political party of the left". Pamela Fitzpatrick, director of the Collective, said that they have "seen the rise of the far right" and are feeling "politically homeless" and that they need a "real movement that can fill that gap”. Its promotional video encouraged people to "take on both the Labour-Tory establishment" and "rigged political system".[8][9] Collective also aims to "challenge" the "centrist turn" of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer.[12]
Organisation
[edit]Collective has a branch in Scotland, Jim Monaghan is an "Interim Scottish Secretariat" of the group. He said that he is going to build "a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left" to run in the 2026 Scottish parliament election.[13] An unnamed source told The National that Collective is "behind the new party" referenced by Zara Sultana but are "not a new party in its own right".[14]
References
[edit]- ^ O'Grady, Sea (3 July 2025). "Could a new party led by Jeremy Corbyn reshape politics?". The Independent.
Last September, Corbyn addressed a meeting aimed at founding a new left-wing party, Collective; his faithful ally...
- ^ a b Kenyon, Megan (4 July 2025). "Zarah Sultana's big messy surprise for Jeremy Corbyn". New Statesman.
- ^ "The New Party, Beyond London". Novara Media. 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Could a new left party change the political weather?". Morning Star. 26 June 2025.
- ^ Hames, Richard (8 July 2025). "What We Know About the New Left Party So Far". Novara Media.
- ^ Burke, Dave (16 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn 'attends talks over forming new Collective political party'". Daily Mirror.
- ^ Sivier, Mike (16 September 2024). "At last the UK is to have a left-wing political party to challenge the right". Vox Political.
- ^ a b Elgot, Jessica (15 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn addresses meeting on formation of new leftwing party". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ a b Beckett, Andy (15 November 2024). "Meet the groups trying to create a new leftwing party – and channel the energy missing from Starmer's Labour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ Peat, Jack (16 September 2024). "Corbyn at meeting to establish 'Reform UK of the left' called 'Collective'". The London Economic.
- ^ Francis, Sam (4 July 2025). "Corbyn's new party - is it happening and could it damage Labour?". BBC News – via Yahoo News.
- ^ "Jeremy Corbyn poised to form new political party in UK". Dawn Newspaper. 5 July 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Lucy (6 July 2025). "Details emerge of Scottish arm of new Corbyn project". The National.
- ^ Small, Mike (8 July 2025). "Party Fears Too". Bella Caledonia. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025.