About Collective
Collective is the engine that will drive the formation of a new, mass-membership political party of the left in the UK.
The conditions that have emerged since 2019, with a political sea-change in the Labour Party, an on-going genocide in Gaza and a far-right insurgency aided and abetted by the Westminster elite, have revealed the stark need for a mass political party that will serve the interests of the working class and the many, offering a real, credible and sustainable challenge to Oligarch Britain.
Collective emerged out of a spontaneous coming together of left independent candidates, groups and activists across the country that began late in 2023 and has since established a broad network. It has captured a renewal of socialist ideas and political energy that was generated under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party. It is driven by the spirit of ‘Corbynism’ that can now be seen in the UK-wide mobilisation, at all levels, in opposition to Labour’s rightward and authoritarian turn.
Collective’s efforts to date and continued approach are fundamentally different from those that have preceded it in the period since the 2019 General Election. Collective represents the first and widest attempt to bring together local, national and issue-based political parties and campaign groups.
During the 2024 General Election, Collective played a central role in co-ordinating and resourcing left independent campaigns across the UK. Our ambition now is to take the next steps towards the foundation of mass political party of the left – to capture the movement’s energy and address the political urgency – and be ready for local government elections in 2025 and beyond.
Collective’s Directors are Pamela Fitzpatrick and Karie Murphy.
What we stand for
A full policy programme will be developed upon the formation of a new political party of the left, with the democratic participation of its membership.
Collective believes that all policy for a future party of the left must be set in pursuit of a radical transformation of society that will serve the interests of the working class, based on the needs of the many and a vision of hope that will counter the division sewn by successive governments.
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 the Many
- Green New Deal
- Housing for the Many
- Tax the Rich to Save the NHS
- Welcome Refugees and World Free from War
Statement on Gaza
Following the International Court of Justice's verdict, the global consensus is solidifying: Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza is unmistakably genocide.
Under UK and international law, weapons exports to any country where there is a risk they might be used in war crimes should be halted. Sales of arms to Israel by any country should be immediately prohibited.
Accountability should follow including the imposition of sanctions and the issue of arrest warrants by the ICC to all those involved in war crimes, which the UK should not obstruct.
British citizens should not be allowed to join the IDF, attack Palestinians and return to the UK without accountability.
Tragically, over 35,000 Palestinians (15,000 of whom are children) have already lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands more face starvation as Western powers, in response to the ICJ's ruling, slash essential funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a critical lifeline for over 2 million Gazans.
In the UK, the Labour Party's complicity in Israel's genocidal campaign, coupled with its punitive measures against dissenting voices within its ranks, have precipitated a profound rupture. Numerous Labour parliamentary candidates have distanced themselves, denouncing the party's dangerous rightward drift.
This defection marks a pivotal moment, with former Labour candidates and others now standing as independent socialists and forging networks of solidarity. In the upcoming general election, a wave of independent anti-genocide candidates will emerge, challenging the prevailing narrative.
Enter the Collective—uniting independent parliamentary candidates and solidarity activists to support those who have severed ties with Labour over its protracted silence on the genocide, while championing the cause of justice for Palestinians. It heralds a new era of coordination among independent voices, laying the groundwork for a formidable challenge to the political establishment.
The Collective aims to harness the fervour of street protests for Palestine, redirecting the electoral discourse towards the paramount global imperative of our time. Together, participants will chart a path forward, weaving together the strands of resistance into a potent force for change.
Support for Palestinian human rights and sovereignty has become a litmus test for anyone purporting to uphold left values. Our strategy is clear: for those who fail this fundamental test, we're uniting to remove them from political life.
Therefore we call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; an end to arms sales to Israel; sanctions and prosecutions for war crimes; and an end to decades of Israeli impunity.