Weeks after Zarah Sultana joined efforts to build a new left party, local campaigners in West Yorkshire have confirmed that she will be coming up north to support their 2026 electoral campaign launch.

“The march of the north in support of the new left party”

The People’s Alliance for Change and Equality (PACE) has been connecting campaigners, trade unionists, and politicians across Kirklees in opposition to war, cuts, and racism.

Back in May, Jeremy Corbyn came up to Huddersfield to support its official launch, as an example of how “this whole cause is coming together” to challenge Labour’s embrace of war and cuts under prime minister Keir Starmer. Since then, PACE has been busy standing alongside local campaigners against the awful behaviour of Labour-led Kirklees Council. And it’s very much preparing to take current councillors on in the 2026 local elections.

We will be running our electoral campaign in tandem with the wider movement on the streets, in workplaces and on campuses. We are a party willing to fight alongside the community, against the cuts and austerity from Labour and the racism stoked by Reform.

It added:

Once Your Party is officially launched, PACE will be affiliating to it, so come along to what will be the march of the north in support of the new left party!

In another message, the group stressed:

Over 700,000 people have signed up to the new party, called by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Once this translates into membership, it will be the biggest political party in Europe!

Asking people to “spread the word about this protest”, which PACE hopes will be its largest so far, it insisted:

Join us, march with Zarah in Huddersfield and let’s get this party started!

Get ready for 2026 – and join Zarah Sultana

Zarah Sultana attending the launch of PACE is a timely move.

Labour-led Kirklees Council has been on a cutting spree of public services. And it’s a clear example of how Labour across the country has adopted the austerity ideology, while refusing to listen to local people. Its councillors won’t get away with that, though. And the 2026 local election will provide a perfect opportunity for voters to hold them to account, together with PACE and the new left party. The October march in Huddersfield will be an important opportunity to organise and grow momentum ahead of next year’s vote.

Leading PACE campaigner Mike Forster had the following message:

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

This post was originally published on Canary.