The leader of the Bradford Independent Group has expressed an interest in Jeremy Corbyn’s reported plans to launch a new political party.
Councillor Talat Sajawal spoke with the former leader of the Labour Party about his hopes for creating a grassroots, socialist movement that prioritises local communities over party politics.
Mr Corbyn was in Bradford last week as a guest speaker at the Bradford Literature Festival (BLF), where he spoke at two major events, one exploring the global arms race and another on the role of poetry in political expression.
But outside of his appearances on stage, Corbyn also met privately with local political figures, including Cllr Talat Sajawal, who represents Little Horton.
The meeting has fuelled further speculation about Corbyn’s reported plans to launch a new political party rooted in socialist values, as disillusionment with mainstream parties continues to grow in working-class and ethnically diverse communities across the UK.
Speaking to Asian Standard following their conversation, Cllr Sajawal confirmed that a meeting took place during Corbyn’s time in the city and revealed that discussions touched on the former Labour leader’s future political plans.
“We met with Jeremy Corbyn when he came to Bradford,” said Cllr Sajawal. “We had a broad discussion about the rumours in the media and things like that. We’ve all sort of agreed to look to work together and see what comes of it moving forward.”
Corbyn has not yet officially launched a new party, but his recent movements suggest he is laying the groundwork. He has appeared in several cities over recent weeks, meeting with grassroots activists, trade unionists, and former Labour voters. His decision to engage with independent councillors in Bradford, many of whom represent wards with large South Asian populations, may signal an effort to build alliances ahead of any formal announcement.
When asked whether he or members of his group might consider joining a new political movement led by Corbyn, Cllr Sajawal said: “We’d be open to join a socialist party.”
The Bradford Independent Group is made up of councillors who left or were expelled from mainstream political parties, particularly Labour, often due to ideological differences or dissatisfaction with party discipline. The group has since focused on representing local constituents without party-political constraints.
“For us, it’s about being accountable to the people who elected us, not to party politics,” said Sajawal. “If we are elected democratically, then we should be democratically accountable to our constituents and not parties.”
He added: “We should be there to represent the constituents and their concerns rather than toeing party lines and being controlled by party politics.”
Adding to the conversation, Cllr Mohammad Ali Islam, another member of the Bradford Independent Group, described the political moment as a turning point.
“It’s a new start, not just for Bradford, but for places like Southport, Leeds, and anywhere people feel let down by their representatives,” he told Asian Standard.
“When it happens, it’s going to be something real, an embrace of true democracy, not authoritarianism. It’ll be a politics for the people, driven by true socialists and those who genuinely care. And when that time comes, we all need to be ready because it’s going to be a full shake-up of the system.”
Jeremy Corbyn’s visits to BLF included an event titled The UK and the Global Arms Race, where he appeared alongside Professor Paul Rogers of the University of Bradford. The session explored Britain’s role in global militarism, arms exports, and the ongoing impact of foreign policy decisions on communities both at home and abroad. Corbyn also took part in a separate event with former Unite the Union General Secretary Len McCluskey, where the two discussed the political power of poetry.
While Corbyn remains an independent MP for Islington North, he is barred from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election. The possibility of launching a new party reported in national media under working titles such as “Peace and Justice” has been widely discussed in recent months.
Cllr Sajawal believes a new party with genuine grassroots values could resonate with voters who feel neglected by traditional political structures, especially in places like Bradford.
“A new party could hold elected members to account and make them truly answerable to the people that elect them,” he said. “That’s something people want not more of the same party politics.”
Asked about the current concerns facing his constituents, Sajawal pointed to a number of pressing local issues. “There’s a range of problems: drug dealing, crime, education, health inequalities. These are the things people in our communities are dealing with daily,” he said. “They want representation that’s focused on solving real, local problems, not just delivering party agendas.”
With Jeremy Corbyn’s political future still undecided, his visit to Bradford and his meeting with councillors like Sajawal suggest that the seeds of a new political movement may already be taking root in cities like Bradford, where frustration with the status quo runs deep and the appetite for change is growing.
As Sajawal put it, “We’re open to what’s next, as long as it puts our communities first.”
