Soft left

The soft left, also known as the open left, inside left and historically as the Tribunite left, is a faction within the British Labour Party. The term “soft left” was coined to distinguish the mainstream left, represented by former leader Michael Foot, from the hard left, represented by Tony Benn. People belonging to the soft left may be called soft leftists or Tribunites. As of 2025, it is the largest faction in the Parliamentary Labour Party. Ideologically, it is described as centre-left.