Despite all the mockery, polling has suggested a new party led by Corbyn could command up to 15% of the vote.
Glancing over the front pages of UK newspapers on July 25, the day after Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana officially launched their new political party, it was hardly surprising to find that just one paper gave the story any space at all.
The Guardian tucked a small box at the bottom of its front page, noting the launch and quoting a joint statement from the pair encouraging supporters to register their interest.
That was it.
Now, contrast that with the media circus surrounding Nigel Farage when he announced his return to front-line politics as the new leader of Reform UK ahead of last year’s general election.
“Nigel Farage stands: ‘He will mobilise millions of people’” splashed the Telegraph.
“As Nigel Farage confirms his political return, Telegraph readers feel they finally have a real alternative,” the article continued.
Says it all really. But despite the radio silence on the front pages, right-wing commentators didn’t hold back.
The Spectator’s Steerpike column gleefully reported:
“Corbyn and Sultana botch their party launch. Again.”
Steerpike scoffed at what they called a “botched” attempt to launch the new movement, claiming that Sultana had seemingly forced Corbyn into allowing her to co-lead. The column mocked the initial confusion over the party’s name, assumed by many to be “Your Party” after the duo directed followers to a Your Party website.
“Way to underwhelm, eh? Only apparently it’s, er, not called ‘Your Party’,” Steerpike added, noting Sultana’s clarification on social media.
“Could the launch of this new group really get any worse?” the columnist concluded.
Well, that depends on where you’re coming from. Because while commentators mocked, Corbyn reported that 500 people a minute were signing up to express interest. In fact, within 24 hours of the announcement, over 200,000 people had signed up to the socialist cause, surpassing the Tories in terms of members by 69,000 and edging close to Reform’s membership.
Hardly a failure. If anything, waiting to finalise a name after gauging supporter enthusiasm might be a smart, adaptive strategy.
Not that this stopped other right-wing outlets from piling on.
The Mail Online jeered: “Jeremy Corbyn’s new left-wing party gets off to flying start with confusion over what it’s even called as co-leader asks people to join ‘Your Party’”.
The accompanying article claimed the launch had “descended into farce.”
A similar headline in the Express stated: “Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana mocked as party launch descends in farce yet again.”
And yet, despite all the mockery, polling has suggested a new party led by Corbyn could command up to 15% of the vote.
I wonder how funny they’ll find it then.
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