‘Your Party’ assembly at The Cornish Bank. (Photo credits: Jasmine Rossiter)
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told a packed Cornish Bank that his new political party would tackle injustice and inequality, including the significant problems here in Cornwall.
Speaking at an assembly of supporters of the group currently known as Your Party on November 1, he said: “There are 22,000 people in Cornwall on the housing waiting list, the number of children living in poverty has gone up by 50,000 in the past 50 years, 20 per cent of children in working Cornish households are living in poverty. That’s working households, still living in poverty.” He said his party would seek to end inequality and injustice in our society.”
He added: “Your housing problem is not caused by the people that Nigel Farage is blaming coming in on boats from Calais, but by people making money outside of the public sector. Those that are not building the council homes that we need, those that are not controlling the private rented sector.”
Your Party, steered by Corbyn and Zarah Sultana is a left wing-party that aims to create a fairer and more democratic society, although it has been hit by reports of in-fighting and is yet to be fully constituted. He was joined in Falmouth by trade unionists and community campaigners, as well as former Labour candidate for Falmouth & Truro, Jennifer Forbes, who now aligns herself with Your Party.
He told the audience their mission was to change people’s perspective on politics: “You begin to change the whole agenda, you take the scales from people’s eyes, you open up their minds to what we can do in the future.”
Corbyn and other organisers then led a public rally at King Charles the Martyr Church.
Attendees at the ‘Your Party’ assembly (Photo credits: Scarlett Jeffries)
He also spoke passionately about Palestine, demanding that there be a change in the attitude to aiding Palestinians and their plans for it.
The rally comes in the aftermath of a rapid growth in membership of the Green Party under new leader Zack Polanski, raising questions of whether the two left-leaning parties will co-operate or split the left-wing vote.
Jon Stowell, a Falmouth Green Party Councillor, said of the proposed new party: “I’m cautiously optimistic. It is necessary to have a true socialist movement. I think Your Party is necessary. Some of the figures in that party have very strong connections to trade unions who have been massively underrepresented in recent labour governments. its going to be a big part of your party platforming, how they utilise their relationship with the trade unions.”
He was more sceptical about what Corbyn’s party might do for the environment. “I haven’t seen anything demonstrated from your Party that they’re environmentally committed, but do I have faith in the membership to make that the case, I suppose I do.
“I think your party and Green Party may end up working together. It will be a lot determined by how we work together on policy, to carry people with us into that greener, more just future.”
Another Green supporter, Willian John, commented: “The Greens are trying to make it more affordable to live in the country, they’re aiming to abolish private landlords, freeze rent increases. They’re trying to give average people more rights when it comes to living day to day. Your Party is wanting to do the same thing, but they cant stop bickering between themselves to actually get it done.
“Reform and the Tories on the other hand are trying to strip us of our rights they’re putting on a front saying they’re all about immigration, but people don’t realise they want to leave the European court of human rights so that they can rinse us of what little money we have. People are worried about the million and billionaires, but it’s hard to care about them when they’re screwing us over everyday.”