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Peace & Justice Project

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Peace & Justice Project
FormationDecember 13, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-12-13)
FounderJeremy Corbyn
Key people
Websitethecorbynproject.com

The Peace & Justice Project (PJP) is a left-wing British organisation founded on 13 December 2020 by the former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn.[1] Its current directors are Corbyn and Pamela Fitzpatrick.[2]

Background

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See also: Jeremy Corbyn § Post-leadership

Following the Labour Party's defeat in the 2019 United Kingdom general election Jeremy Corbyn stated his intention to stand down as leader of the Labour Party. In April 2020, Keir Starmer became the leader of the Labour Party.[3] Starmer was seen as a more centrist figure than his predecessor as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.[4]

On 29 October 2020, a report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission into antisemitism in the Labour Party was published, finding that the party was responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.[5][6] In response to the report, Corbyn said that while antisemitism was "absolutely abhorrent" and that "one anti-Semite [in the Labour Party] is one too many", he said that "the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media" leading to his suspension from the party.[7][6]

Project founding

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On 13 December 2020, Jeremy Corbyn announced the project, and said that its areas of focus will include environmentalism, international peace cooperation, poverty, social inequality and corporate power. Corbyn launched the project on 17 January 2021, and its affiliates include Christine Blower, Len McCluskey and Zarah Sultana. Rafael Correa said that he "welcome[d] the creation" of the project.[8][9][1][10]

Spoof site

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On 15 December 2020, The Times of Israel reported that a satirical website claiming to be the Project for Peace and Justice had been set up "by critics of Corbyn, and they are using it to mock him for his strident criticism of Israel and alleged soft-pedaling of anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks".[11]

Campaigns

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Music For The Many

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Beginning in April 2023, the Peace & Justice Project launched the Music For The Many campaign – headed by Media Co-Ordinator for the PJP and Lead Campaigner Samuel Sweek[12] – which aimed to bring attention to the loss of grassroots music venues in the UK, proposing that the government protect smaller and independent grassroots live music venues at risk of closure by creating a support fund payed for by introducing a small levy on ticket sales at "large corporate-backed arena and stadium shows"[13][14]. On 7 May 2024 after taking the Culture, Media and Sport Committee published its Grassroots Music Venue report which recommended the following relating to a levy on ticket sales:

"We are encouraged that stakeholders across the sector are taking a levy seriously and already coming together to propose solutions in good faith. While we agree with artists and managers that a compulsory levy on arena and stadium tickets would be the fairest and most sustainable mechanism to support grassroots music venues without requiring downward pressures on artists’ share of revenues, we accept that the urgency of the crisis in grassroots means that a voluntary levy is the most feasible way to have an immediate impact. If the live music sector is serious about creating an effective voluntary levy, it must be equitable for all stakeholders and in place as soon as possible. (Paragraph 40)

We recommend that the live music industry introduce a voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets no later than September 2024 to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters. (Paragraph 41)

We further recommend that the Government should undertake and publish an assessment of the effectiveness of the voluntary levy on grassroots music venues no later than 12 months after its establishment. (Paragraph 42)

If a voluntary levy is unable to be agreed by September 2024, or if the assessment of the voluntary levy concludes it is not collecting the income required to support the GMV sector, the Government should introduce a statutory levy at the earliest subsequent opportunity. (Paragraph 43)

There is broad consensus that a charitable organisation is best placed to administer the levy funds. While Arts Council England is already well-established and well-placed to distribute funding, we accept that a trust led by a sector umbrella body, such as the LIVE Trust or Music Venues Trust, is the best way to collect, manage and distribute a voluntary fund. For this to succeed, we recommend that it contains broad representation for all stakeholders, including venues from GMVs to arenas, artists and their business partners and national and independent promoters among its trustees. A trust must provide the utmost transparency and due diligence for its decisions to ensure it can maintain the confidence of all stakeholders within the fragile live music ecosystem. (Paragraph 50)"[15]

On 4 April 2024, under the Music For The Many brand, the PJP launched the 'Art Against The Arms Trade' campaign which sought to convince music festival organisers sponsored by Barclays to cut ties with the bank until they divest from companies providing arms to Israel.[16][17][18] According a report released in July 2022, cited by the PJP[17] and published by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Barclays held £1,300,688,880 in shares and provided £3,977,214,000 in loans and underwriting to nine companies providing weapons and military technology to Israel which the PCS alleges is being used in "unlawful violence against Palestinians" and accusing Barclays of being complicit in Israeli apartheid.[19] A few months later it was reported that Barclays was forced to withdraw their sponsorship of the Isle of Wight, Download and Latitude festivals after many performers refused to play over the bank’s involvement with arms firms supplying Israel, while the Live Nation Festival suspended their sponsorship deal also.[20][21]

In 28 April 2025, the Music For The Many announced a new live music campaign 'A Summer To Save Live Music’ to celebrate the campaign's one-year anniversary and to "amplify [their] demands for a small ticket levy on corporate sponsors of large music arenas to secure the long-term future of small independent spaces"[22] in response to the government's seeming inaction.[22] The campaign featured six different line-ups ARXX, Shelf Lives, The Menstrual Cramps and Kid Bookie performing in London, Bristol, Birkenhead, Brighton, Norwich and Manchester.[12]

Artists associated with the Music For The Many campaign include English Teacher, ZAND and Lambrini Girls and more recently Ditz, Saint Agnes, MOSKITO and Gender Crisis.[22]

Unionise Samworth Brothers

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Began 26 July 2023

Music For A Ceasefire open letter

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On 9 November 2023 the PJP released an open letter from artists, musicians and performers calling for the United Kingdom and United States governments to press for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza War.[23][24][25][26]

Retrofit for the Future

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Began 19 March 2024

5 Demands to Build a Real Alternative

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Began 13 April 2024

Conversion into a new political party

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In January 2022, The Sunday Telegraph reported that Corbyn was urged to make the project a new political party that will position itself in elections as standing to the left of Labour. This urging has come from close political confidants, as well as his wife Laura.[27][28] In July 2025 Corbyn and Sultana issued a joint statement confirming the launch of a new party under the provisional name of Your Party and encouraging supporters to register, with a website and mailing list managed by the Peace & Justice Project.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Jeremy Corbyn to start global social justice project 'for the many'". The Guardian. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. ^ "PEACE AND JUSTICE PROJECT LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. 2025-07-24. Archived from the original on 2024-12-21. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  3. ^ Mason, Rowena (4 April 2020). "Keir Starmer wins Labour leadership election". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  4. ^ Castle, Stephen (29 September 2021). "U.K. Labour Leader Makes a Firm Push to the Political Center". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  5. ^ "EHRC Report". The Labour Party. 2025-07-26. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
  6. ^ a b "Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn over reaction to anti-Semitism report". BBC News. 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
  7. ^ Walker, Peter; Elgot, Jessica (2020-10-29). "Jeremy Corbyn rejects overall findings of EHRC report on antisemitism in Labour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
  8. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn Has A New Project". Huffington Post. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  9. ^ Davis, Barney (13 December 2020). "Corbyn announces launch of Peace and Justice Project". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn: Why I'm Launching a Project for Peace and Justice". jacobinmag.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Spoof site set up after Corbyn apparently fails to register domain for new group". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  12. ^ a b Outlook, Labour (2025-05-15). "A Summer To Save Music: The Government Must Act Now to Protect Grassroots Music Venues". labouroutlook.org. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  13. ^ Canary, The (2025-01-17). "Jeremy Corbyn needs you to sign a petition - URGENTLY". Canary. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  14. ^ "Music For The Many". thecorbynproject.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  15. ^ House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee (11 May 2024). "Grassroots music venues Seventh Report of Session 2023–24". p. 36–37. Retrieved 28 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "We must shut off the war machine's influence from our arts and culture". Huck. 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  17. ^ a b "Art Against the Arms Trade". thecorbynproject.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  18. ^ Canary, The (2024-04-05). "Jeremy Corbyn is having a rather busy week - once again, turning his attention to Israel". Canary. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  19. ^ "Barclays Bank: Arming Apartheid" (PDF). palestinecampaign.org. 2025-07-28. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  20. ^ "Palestine campaigners celebrate withdrawal of Barclays sponsorships from music festivals | Morning Star". morningstaronline.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  21. ^ Eye, Dorset (2024-06-17). "Huge victory for Art Against The Arms Trade". Dorset Eye. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  22. ^ a b c Canary, The (2024-03-20). "Jeremy Corbyn is celebrating a one-year anniversary in April. But of what...?". Canary. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  23. ^ "MUSIC FOR A CEASEFIRE". thecorbynproject.com. 2025-11-09. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  24. ^ Boyle, Callum (2023-11-14). "EXCL: Sam Fender, The Libertines among artists backing Jeremy Corbyn's call for Gaza ceasefire". JOE.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  25. ^ Duran, Anagricel (2023-11-14). "Sam Fender, The Libertines and more sign Gaza 'Music For A Ceasefire' letter". NME. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  26. ^ Outlook, Labour (2023-11-14). "Music for a Ceasefire: Artists, Musicians and Performers call for a ceasefire in Gaza – Peace & Justice Project". Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  27. ^ Diver, Tony; Yorke, Harry (9 January 2022). "Jeremy Corbyn could establish own party as hopes fade of being reinstated as Labour MP". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  28. ^ Cohen, Ben (10 January 2022). "Former UK Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn Reportedly Considering Launch of New Left-Wing Party". Algemeiner.com. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  29. ^ Walker, Peter (24 July 2025). "Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana agree to launch leftwing party". theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
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