Green Party hopeful shuts down calls for alliance with Corbyn and Sultana’s new left-wing movement
The Green Party will not form an alliance with Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's new left-wing party, one of its MPs has said.
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Ellie Chowns, Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, slapped down suggestions of a collaboration with the yet-to-be-named party when speaking to LBC's Henry Riley.
Ms Chowns is currently running for the party leadership alongside Adrian Ramsay and Zack Polanski, with all three candidates being urged by left-wing campaigners to work alongside Corbyn and Sultana.
Mr Polanski has set himself apart from the other candidates, saying he is open to cooperating with the former Labour MPs.
But Ms Chowns believes the focus should remain on the "effective political electoral party" that already exists.
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"I would say to anyone who wants a party that stands up firmly for social, economic and environmental justice, the Green Party is here already," she said.
"We're winning elections already and we welcome people to join us because we are an effective political electoral party."
Corbyn and Sultana's party, which does not yet officially exist, was announced earlier this week with the interim title Your Party.
More then 300,000 people registered their interest in the new political group in just over 24 hours after the pair jointly launched a sign-up website.
Following the launch, the left-wing campaign group We Deserve Better led calls for a formal alliance between the Greens and the new party.
They argued a united ticket could unseat dozens of Labour MPs, whereas both parties running separately could split the vote.
But Ms Chowns rejected this argument, saying: "Over the past few weeks, this party has been struggling to get launched. It doesn't have a name.The Green Party has been going for 50 years. No-one has had to pay them any money.
"Anybody who's run an online petition knows there's a difference between getting sign ups or something like that and forming a new party. The history of forming new parties in the UK isn't exactly littered with success."
Polanksi, who was more open collaboration, said any decision would be made in the best interest of Green members.
"I’m open to working with anyone who’s up for challenging the far-right threat of Reform and this unpopular Labour government,” he told the Guardian.
"Exactly what this might possibly look like with regard to any sort of arrangement is a bridge I’ll cross further down the line and will be in the hands of Green party members. The new party doesn’t exist yet, and 2029 is some way off.
"If anyone’s looking for a leftwing vehicle for power and change in this country, the Greens are here right now, we’re surging, we have well established party infrastructure and we have hundreds of elected representatives across the country. Join us."
Ramsey, who along with Chowns is one of the Greens' four MPs, said it was crucial for the party to keep its distinctive identity.
"Turning the party into a Jeremy Corbyn support act would be a huge mistake," he added.
Voting for the Greens’ leadership takes place throughout August, with the result announced on September 2.