Redgraves kick off new peace party

Britain’s most famous acting dynasty is launching a party to promote the human rights it says have been abused in the war on terrorism, the latest foray by the entertainment world into Iraq war politics.

Corin and Vanessa Redgrave, renowned for their left-wing activism as well as stage and film performances, will inaugurate the Peace and Progress Party in London on Nov. 27. The party’s manifesto includes calling for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and the return of British terrorism suspects held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The famous siblings join a lengthening list of film stars, directors and musicians who want to use their art and celebrity clout to have a say about the way the world has changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. A phalanx of stars campaigned against President Bush before he won this month’s presidential election.

“I think it’s a healthy sign,” Corin Redgrave said. “If artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be.”