By Christopher McKeon
A senior minister has appeared to shrug off the announcement a former Labour MP has set up a new party alongside Jeremy Corbyn.
Zarah Sultana, who had the Labour whip suspended last year, said on Thursday night she was quitting Sir Keir Starmer鈥檚 party and would 鈥渃o-lead the founding of a new party鈥 with the ex-Labour leader.
Mr Corbyn is yet to comment on the announcement.
On Friday morning, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Ms Sultana had 鈥渁lways taken a very different view to most people in the Government鈥 on several issues, adding: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 for her to do so.鈥
But during a series of broadcast interviews, Ms Cooper declined to be drawn on whether she was concerned the new party could pose a threat to Labour.
Asked whether she was concerned, the Home Secretary told LBC: 鈥淧eople have always had different views, and I just disagree with the views and the approaches they鈥檙e taking.鈥
In her announcement of a new political party, Ms Sultana accused the Labour Government of failing to improve people鈥檚 lives, and claimed it 鈥渨ants to make disabled people suffer鈥 in reference to ministers鈥 proposals to reform welfare.
Ms Cooper rejected the accusation, telling Sky News: 鈥淚 just strongly disagree with her.鈥
The Home Secretary pointed to falling waiting times in the NHS, the announcement of additional neighbourhood police officers, extending free school meals and strengthening renters鈥 rights as areas where the Government was acting.
She said: 鈥淭hese are real changes (that) have a real impact on people鈥檚 lives.鈥
Ms Sultana was one of seven MPs who had the Labour whip suspended last summer when they supported an amendment to the King鈥檚 Speech which related to the two-child benefit cap.
Four of the seven had the whip restored earlier this year but Ms Sultana was not among them.
John McDonnell, another of the suspended MPs who has not had the whip restored, posted on X that he was 鈥渄readfully sorry鈥 to see Ms Sultana quit the party.
鈥淭he people running Labour at the moment need to ask themselves why a young, articulate, talented, extremely dedicated socialist feels she now has no home in the Labour Party and has to leave,鈥 he said.
Mr Corbyn led Labour from 2015 to April 2020, stepping down after the party鈥檚 loss at the 2019 general election.
He was suspended from Labour in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission鈥檚 findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge, and said antisemitism had been 鈥渄ramatically overstated for political reasons鈥.
He was blocked from standing for Labour at last year鈥檚 general election and expelled in the spring of 2024 after announcing he would stand as an independent candidate in his Islington North constituency, which he won with a majority of more than 7,000.
Last year, Mr Corbyn formed the Independent Alliance with other independent members of the Commons.
Asked on ITV鈥檚 Peston programme on Wednesday whether that group could turn into an official party, Mr Corbyn said that they have 鈥渨orked very hard and very well together鈥 over the last year in Parliament.
He added: 鈥淭here is a thirst for an alternative view to be put.鈥
鈥淭hat grouping will come together, there will be an alternative,鈥 he later said.