Zarah Sultana is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Coventry South since 2019. She gained public attention as one of the youngest MPs in Parliament, then for her high-profile suspension from the Labour Party, and most recently for emerging as a vocal critic of Prime Minister Keir Starmer openly challenging him to “call an election now” or face a leadership challenge from her.
Quick Facts
Full Name: Zarah Sultana
Age: 32 (born October 31, 1993)
Nationality: British
Occupation: Member of Parliament (Coventry South)
Known For: Former Labour MP who left to co-found “Your Party” with Jeremy Corbyn; outspoken critic of Keir Starmer
Marital Status: Married to Craig Lloyd (since 2024)
Children: None confirmed
Early Life and Background
Sultana was born in Lozells, Birmingham, to a British Pakistani Muslim family, the eldest of four sisters. Her grandfather migrated from Mirpur, Kashmir, to Birmingham in the 1960s. At 17, during a trip to the occupied West Bank, she observed Israeli military courts and witnessed “Jewish-only roads” an experience she has described as igniting her internationalist politics. She attended King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for sixth form before studying International Relations and Economics at the University of Birmingham.
Career and Achievements
Sultana joined the Labour Party in 2011 at age 17, following the coalition government’s decision to treble university tuition fees. While at university, she was elected to the executive bodies of both Young Labour and the National Union of Students. Before becoming an MP, she worked as a community organiser for the Labour Party’s Community Organising Unit.
Sultana was elected MP for Coventry South in the 2019 general election with a majority of just 401 votes. She won re-election in 2024 with a dramatically increased majority of over 10,000 votes. She served as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the left-wing caucus of Labour MPs, from 2020 to 2025.
On the international stage, Sultana has become one of Parliament’s most vocal critics of UK arms sales to Israel during the Gaza war. She has reported receiving more death threats and online abuse than any other MP, with one report indicating 68% more abuse than the next most-targeted MP.
Major Event or Controversy
In July 2024, Sultana was one of seven Labour MPs suspended from the parliamentary party for voting against the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. She has stated: “I have to stand up for what I believe are the true values of the Labour Party”. The whip was never restored.
On July 3, 2025, she resigned from the Labour Party after 14 years of membership, announcing she would co-lead a new left-wing party with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The party operates under the provisional name “Your Party”. She explained: “The Labour Party is dead. It has destroyed its principles and its popularity”.
On April 20, 2026, she was removed from the House of Commons after calling Keir Starmer a “bare-faced liar” regarding the Mandelson vetting scandal. She was “named” by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, resulting in a five-day suspension without pay.
Why She Is In the News
Sultana is in the news following the May 2026 local election results, where Labour lost hundreds of seats while “Your Party” which she co-leads and the Greens made gains. On May 10, 2026, she delivered a defiant speech to the cabinet, declaring: “Call an election now, resign, or I will stand against you challenge Keir Starmer or I will”. Her ultimatum intensifies pressure on an already-embattled prime minister.
Conclusion
Zarah Sultana is a 32-year-old left-wing firebrand who rose from community organiser to one of Parliament’s most recognisable progressive voices. After being cast out of the Labour Party for her principles, she has become the face of a potential electoral rebellion against Keir Starmer, representing the left’s most significant challenge to Labour leadership in a generation.
