New Breakthrough Party adds three local politicians who left Labour after ‘losing faith’ in the party

Three local politicians who were elected as Labour councillors have joined a new political party, after leaving Labour over the party’s ‘rightward turn’.

The Breakthrough Party now has seven elected councillors and a mayor, after two Spellthorne Borough Councillors and a Westgate-On-Sea Town Council member joined the party.

What is the Breakthrough Party?

Breakthrough is a youth-led democratic socialist party which describes itself as ‘a new home for those determined to disrupt the failed status quo and build an alternative: a society that uses its considerable wealth to provide dignity, security and justice for all.’

Founded last year by Alex Mays, the party was launched in response to Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party.

Breakthrough aims to be a new home for former Labour members and supporters who are dissatisfied with Starmer’s new direction.

The new Labour leader has been criticised by many on the left for running a leadership campaign which played up his left credentials, while going on to ostracise left-winger and increase internal tensions.

Like the Northern Independence Party, Breakthrough is a grassroots movement which has yet to achieve any notable electoral success - both parties ran candidates in recent by-elections but received less than 1% of the vote.

Breakthrough is yet to field a candidate in a local election, although the party has announced plans to stand in a number of seats in the upcoming local elections in May.

However, the party has managed to attract a number of Borough and Town councillors to join the party, generally among those who were elected as Labour councillors.