A new local political party, Arise, has been launched in Harrow, aiming to give residents an alternative voice ahead of the 2026 local council elections, and to hold the local politicians to account.
The party was formally introduced on 27 August at a community gathering led by Pamela Fitzpatrick, director of Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project, former Harrow councillor and parliamentary candidate.
The movement has been founded by local campaigners and residents under the slogan “we deserve better.”
Fitzpatrick said the party was born out of frustration with both main parties, arguing: “Now is the time that we come together, and we get a change in Harrow because whether it’s Tory or Labour, we really haven’t seen any improvement in Harrow.”
Explaining its distinct role, Fitzpatrick noted that Arise will remain a local initiative, though it is expected to eventually fold into a new national party being developed by Jeremy Corbyn. She emphasised the grassroots spirit of the project, remarking: “Your Party is going to be a new national party, but it’s not a party yet… How grassroots are we in Harrow? We’re very grassroots.”
As it’s likely that Arise would fold into the national party, Jeremy Corbyn focused on the national party priorities:
He stressed that the party’s vision is grounded in tackling inequality, child poverty, insecure work, and discrimination. He highlighted the need for every child to have access to food, education, and equal opportunities, and called for policies that put people’s lives at the centre.
On foreign policy, Corbyn condemned the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, describing the situation there as genocide. He urged the UK government to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, halt arms sales to Israel, and impose sanctions.
Corbyn also questioned Britain’s rising defence expenditure, nuclear weapons policy, and involvement in what he described as a “global arms race,” instead advocating for disarmament and peace.
Summarising the new movement’s principles, Corbyn said it would campaign for “poverty, equality and justice in our society, environmental sustainability, public ownership and opposition to wars.”
He concluded with a message of unity, insisting that the party aims to be a source of hope: “Our movement, our party, our organisation will bring people together… Unity is what we need, and unity is what will win.”
The party was formally introduced on 27 August at a community gathering led by Pamela Fitzpatrick, director of Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project, former Harrow councillor and parliamentary candidate.
The movement has been founded by local campaigners and residents under the slogan “we deserve better.”
Fitzpatrick said the party was born out of frustration with both main parties, arguing: “Now is the time that we come together, and we get a change in Harrow because whether it’s Tory or Labour, we really haven’t seen any improvement in Harrow.”
Explaining its distinct role, Fitzpatrick noted that Arise will remain a local initiative, though it is expected to eventually fold into a new national party being developed by Jeremy Corbyn. She emphasised the grassroots spirit of the project, remarking: “Your Party is going to be a new national party, but it’s not a party yet… How grassroots are we in Harrow? We’re very grassroots.”
As it’s likely that Arise would fold into the national party, Jeremy Corbyn focused on the national party priorities:
He stressed that the party’s vision is grounded in tackling inequality, child poverty, insecure work, and discrimination. He highlighted the need for every child to have access to food, education, and equal opportunities, and called for policies that put people’s lives at the centre.On foreign policy, Corbyn condemned the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, describing the situation there as genocide. He urged the UK government to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, halt arms sales to Israel, and impose sanctions.
Corbyn also questioned Britain’s rising defence expenditure, nuclear weapons policy, and involvement in what he described as a “global arms race,” instead advocating for disarmament and peace.
Summarising the new movement’s principles, Corbyn said it would campaign for “poverty, equality and justice in our society, environmental sustainability, public ownership and opposition to wars.”
He concluded with a message of unity, insisting that the party aims to be a source of hope: “Our movement, our party, our organisation will bring people together… Unity is what we need, and unity is what will win.”
Harrow Monitoring Group 
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