Collective (organisation)
The Collective is a left-wing political organisation and future political party in 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.
Collective reportedly aims to counter "rightward drift" in the Labour Party and the rise of politicians like Nigel Farage of the Reform UK, it also wants to establish a significant "left-wing presence" in UK politics. Collective is planning to eventually transform itself into a political party once its membership grows and reaches atleast 100,000 people. The Collective said that it have over 4,000 members. Collective also plans to have seats in the next UK general election, specifically about a dozen MPs.
Jeremy Corbyn's involvement and discussions about a wider left-wing party
Collective held invitation only meetings in 2024, with one having around 40 attendees. Jeremy Corbyn had attended them as an interested observer. On September 2024, days after Independent Alliance was formed, Jeremy Corbyn attended another 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". Other people who attended the meeting included former Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, film director Ken Loach and South African politician Andrew Feinstein.
Collective also held a meeting on September 2024 with , discussing future local elections in Coventry and Dundee. TUSC had released a briefing document written by Clive Heemskerk that detailed all discussions between them and Collective's plans to become a party.
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. 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. Collective's website said that they are working with various left-wing organisation and parties that include Liverpool Community Independents, Transform, Just Stop Oil, The Muslim Vote and TUSC.
Organisation
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. An unnamed source told that Collective is "behind the new party" referenced by Zara Sultana but are "not a new party in its own right".
Collective reportedly aims to counter "rightward drift" in the Labour Party and the rise of politicians like Nigel Farage of the Reform UK, it also wants to establish a significant "left-wing presence" in UK politics. Collective is planning to eventually transform itself into a political party once its membership grows and reaches atleast 100,000 people. The Collective said that it have over 4,000 members. Collective also plans to have seats in the next UK general election, specifically about a dozen MPs.
Jeremy Corbyn's involvement and discussions about a wider left-wing party
Collective held invitation only meetings in 2024, with one having around 40 attendees. Jeremy Corbyn had attended them as an interested observer. On September 2024, days after Independent Alliance was formed, Jeremy Corbyn attended another 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". Other people who attended the meeting included former Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, film director Ken Loach and South African politician Andrew Feinstein.
Collective also held a meeting on September 2024 with , discussing future local elections in Coventry and Dundee. TUSC had released a briefing document written by Clive Heemskerk that detailed all discussions between them and Collective's plans to become a party.
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. 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. Collective's website said that they are working with various left-wing organisation and parties that include Liverpool Community Independents, Transform, Just Stop Oil, The Muslim Vote and TUSC.
Organisation
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. An unnamed source told that Collective is "behind the new party" referenced by Zara Sultana but are "not a new party in its own right".
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