Kinnock’s Rebuke Echoes Loudly as Corbyn Allies Launch Left-Wing Breakaway: “A Gift to Farage”

Published: 7 July, 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

In a blistering critique that has shaken political circles across the United Kingdom, former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has denounced the emerging left-wing faction being spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn as nothing short of a political boon to the far right. Branding the nascent movement as the “Farage assistance group,” Kinnock expressed profound concern over the direction of British progressive politics, warning that such a breakaway would serve only to aid “the enemies of Labour, of the working class.”

Kinnock’s comments surfaced as public confirmation arrived that Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana, a high-profile figure within the younger progressive wing of British politics, is officially parting ways with the Labour Party to co-lead a new political formation alongside Corbyn. Sultana, who had been sitting as an independent MP since losing the Labour whip in 2024 after voting against the two-child benefit cap, stated her departure was driven by principle and a belief that the Labour Party no longer represented the values she stood for.

The move represents the most significant fracture within Labour since Corbyn’s own tenure as leader ended in controversy. His leadership—marked by intense internal divisions, allegations of institutional antisemitism, and a crushing electoral defeat in 2019—remains deeply polarising. Yet, Corbyn continues to hold sway among certain sections of the left, and his efforts to construct what he calls a “real alternative” to Labour appear to be gaining momentum with Sultana’s support.

Despite the growing excitement among some grassroots activists, Lord Kinnock issued a stark warning. He argued that any splinter movement would fragment the progressive vote and potentially deliver electoral advantages to populist figures like Nigel Farage, whose return to political centre stage has intensified in recent months with his remarks on economic nationalism and energy security. Kinnock did not hold back, asserting that Farage was either “deliberately lying” or “extremely stupid” for publicly advocating the reopening of coal mines to fuel blast furnaces — a position many experts have dismissed as outdated and environmentally regressive.

Kinnock’s remarks underline the broader anxiety within Labour’s old guard, who view Corbyn’s renewed activism and Sultana’s defection not as a resurgence of progressive politics but as a replay of a damaging era. With a general election on the horizon and Keir Starmer attempting to position Labour as a centrist, competent alternative to the current Conservative government, the emergence of a rival leftist platform poses new strategic headaches.

Corbyn, however, appears unfazed. In a statement released shortly after Sultana’s announcement, he expressed delight at her decision, calling it “principled” and reiterating his commitment to building a political alternative rooted in social justice, anti-austerity, and climate action. The former Labour leader, who was expelled from the Parliamentary Labour Party in 2023 following a long-standing conflict over his stance on antisemitism allegations, has since been steadily organising through grassroots networks and public meetings under what many now see as the scaffolding of a new political entity.

Still, questions abound. Will the new movement manage to galvanize enough support to meaningfully impact national politics, or will it, as critics like Kinnock warn, divide the vote in key constituencies and pave the way for further right-wing gains? Moreover, does the British electorate—still fatigued from years of Brexit turmoil, pandemic recovery, and economic hardship—have the appetite for another factional battle within the left?

As the situation develops, one thing remains clear: the ideological fault lines within Labour and the broader British left have once again erupted into the open. Whether this will mark the beginning of a political renaissance or yet another chapter in a long-running saga of fragmentation and missed opportunities will be revealed in time—and perhaps at the ballot box.