Zarah Sultana

Official portrait of Zarah Sultana MP from 2019
Roger Harris | CC BY 3.0

➡️ ZARAH SULTANA – Progressive British Politician & The Hopes of a New Leftwing Party

Sultana began serving as a British Member of Parliament in 2019 for Coventry South. She represented the Labour Party until July 2025, when she resigned after becoming disillusioned with the party's lack of action on Gaza and its failure to improve welfare and address the cost of living at home.

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Shortly after Sultana was elected as a Labour MP, she was suspended following her stance on the two-child benefit cap. She remained a Labour member for a year until she decided that her socialist and reformative ideas no longer aligned with Starmer's largely unpopular vision of Labour.

At 31, Sultana is one of the youngest members of British politics; she is also female and a Muslim. This, along with her active presence on social media, has brought her both great popularity and criticism. In 2023, Sultana was subjected to the most abuse by a long shot of any other British MP.

Sultana is supportive of climate action, a Green New Deal, economic equality, social justice, improving public services, a ceasefire in Gaza, and a ban on arms sales to Israel. Her ideologies align with those of many young voters and those who envision a better future for the UK. She has openly criticised Starmer and his government for their sharp shift to the right.

A New Leftwing Party?

After her Labour resignation, Sultana announced that she would be part of a group of collaborators looking to form a new left-wing political party, which, combined with the experience of Jeremy Corbyn and other independent politicians, has the potential to be a serious contender.

The British public's growing dissatisfaction with both Labour and the Conservatives, combined with the lack of progressive alternative options, has left a gaping hole that could soon be filled.

The growing popularity of rightwing Reform UK comes as voters are searching for literally any other alternative. Keir Starmer's rating is at an all-time low as he has cemented the UK on the path of war, proscribed the pro-Palestine group Palestine Action, put in place devastating reforms of the welfare bill, and has shown no signs of ending British complicity in the War on Gaza.

At the start of July, a meeting was held with around 30 prominent independent left-wing politicians to discuss the establishment of this new party. With further discussions in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing what a new party with people at the heart of their policies looks like.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 09.07.25 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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