In a statement, “Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard.” They believed they could carry on doing this more effectively as a collective group.
They added: “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.”
The new Independent Alliance will still miss out on funding from government that opposition parties are entitled to – known as short money.
The funding is allocated based on a party’s performance in at the most recent election.
So, even though the new grouping and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK have the same number of MPs, Farage’s party is entitled to short money because it contested the election as a political party, rather than a collection of like-minded independents.
The Guardian reports that the Independent Alliance will not become a formal political party and will not have a leader, but hope to be given more time to speak in parliamentary debates.
Earlier today, Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch attacked the pro-Gaza independents and told the press, “When everyone was talking about the five new MPs from Reform [Nigel Farage’s party], I was far more worried about the five new MPs elected on the back of sectarian Islamist politics; alien ideas that have no place here. The sort of politics we need to defeat and defeat quickly.”
