Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Corbyn has been announced as the keynote speaker at the conference of New Labour pressure group Progress.
The Labour leader will give a speech to members of the group on Saturday as it meets in central London for its annual gathering.
The organisation, which advocates for a political approach closely associated with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, endorsed Liz Kendall for the leadership of the party in 2015.
“We are pleased to announce Jeremy Corbyn is keynote speaker at the Progress Annual Conference 2016,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.
MPs associated with Progress’s policies and networks have been amongst Mr Corbyn’s fiercest critics – with former chair John Woodcock having previously said the party “cannot go on like this” under his leadership.
The conference is likely to be a tough gig for Mr Corbyn, who hails from the party’s left wing and has been subject to criticism from those further to the right and centre in his party.
If successful the Islington MP could however build valuable bridges with his fiercest critics within Labour, after an unexpectedly reasonable local election result that saw the prospect of a coup against his leadership fade.
Mr Corbyn responded to the local election result by saying Labour needed to do more to win in 2020.
Elements of the party’s left wing have previously criticised Progress. In January, John McDonnell said resignation’s from Labour’s front bench came from “a narrow right wing clique within the Labour Party, based around the organisation Progress”.
Both the late Labour MP Michael Meacher and Jon Lansman, the chair of Momentum, have described the group as a “party-within-a-party” on account of its separate membership structure and internal lobbying activities.
In 2016 the organisation has received funding from Lord Mandelson, the former Labour business secretary, and Lord Sainsbury, a billionaire and close friend of Tony Blair.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments