Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is forming a parliamentary alliance with four pro-Gaza independent MPs.
The now-independent MP for Islington North was re-elected in the UK general election, beating his Labour rival with a majority of more than 7,000.
His new Commons group is dubbed the Independent Alliance parliamentary group, which is set to be the fifth largest grouping in the chamber, with the same number of MPs as Reform UK and the DUP.
Mr Corbyn and his allies hope to press the UK government on issues including austerity and inequality as well as the war in Gaza.
The group also includes Shockat Adam (Leicester South), Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr), Adnan Hussain (Blackburn) and Iqbal Mohamed (Dewsbury and Batley).
By grouping together, the MPs hope they will be given more opportunities to speak in the Commons.
As a group of five, they are more likely to be called on a regular basis by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, including being added to a rota for smaller parties to ask questions at Prime Minister’s Questions.
In a joint statement, the MPs wrote: “We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a Parliament of despair.
“Already, this Government has scrapped the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, voted to keep the two-child benefits cap, and ignored calls to end arms sales to Israel.
“Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard.
“As individuals we were voted by our constituents to represent their concerns in Parliament on these matters, and more, and we believe that as a collective group we can carry on doing this with greater effect.
“The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better.
“Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world.”
