The public will reject Jeremy Corbyn’s new party like they rejected him twice before, Rachel Reeves has predicted.
The Chancellor launched an attack on the former Labour leader personally as well as his new party, saying “the bloke’s got a big ego”.
Ms Reeves told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that Mr Corbyn had “tried to destroy my party” during his leadership in which he lost two general elections, one in 2017 and one in 2019.
She was asked about the left-wing party during an appearance on the Iain Dale All Talk show on Saturday.
Mr Corbyn launched the new political party with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, which still does not appear to have a name but is marketed as “Your Party”.
Mr Corbyn vowed it would “take on the rich and powerful”.
Asked about whether the new party could eat into Labour’s support by becoming a “Reform of the left”, the Chancellor said: “Jeremy Corbyn has had two chances to be prime minister and I think the country gave their verdict, most recently in 2019 when Labour had its worst result since 1935.
“If he wants to give it another go, be my guest. I think the voters will have the same reaction.”
Asked by Mr Dale if Labour was being complacent about the new political group, she said: “It’s not being complacent. He tried to destroy my party and he can now go set up his own party.
“The country has rejected him twice. The bloke’s got a big ego. He can have another go but I think the country will have the same verdict.”
It’s time for a new direction in politics. #YourParty pic.twitter.com/v6zamj8HwT
— YourParty_UK (@ItsYourPartyUK) July 27, 2025
The Chancellor’s comments saw some of the biggest cheers of her chat with Mr Dale, which lasted around one and a half hours.
Mr Corbyn has said that more than 500,000 people had signed up to the movement in less than a week.
The figure was dismissed by Ms Reeves who told the crowd in Edinburgh that her sister Ellie Reeves, a serving Labour MP, had received an email stating she had signed up to the party.
Speaking at the same event, the Chancellor said Reform UK was now Labour’s main rival, describing the Tories as “irrelevant”.
But she warned that Nigel Farage offered “simple solutions” that amounted to a “mirage”.
Mr Corbyn has been approached for comment.
