Jeremy Corbyn has faced a significant political setback after members of his new political movement, Your Party, voted against his preferred leadership model during its founding conference.
A Vote for Collective Power
On Sunday, 30 November 2025, the conference saw a narrow majority of members reject the idea of a single elected leader, a model that Mr Corbyn had publicly backed and indicated he would stand for.
Instead, 51.6% of the more than 9,000 members who voted endorsed a collective leadership structure. This model will place a committee of party members in charge, with MPs explicitly barred from standing for positions on it.
A party spokesperson celebrated the decision, stating it "shows that we really are doing politics differently: from the bottom up, not the top down."
Sultana's Democratic Victory
The collective model had been strongly supported by Mr Corbyn's rival, former Labour MP Zarah Sultana. Her initial preference for a 'co-leadership' plan had been blocked from consideration by members, leading her to champion the collective alternative.
Welcoming the vote, Ms Sultana said she had "fought for maximum member democracy since day one" and described the outcome as "exciting."
"Together, we're building a new socialist party – radically democratic and powered by a mass movement," she declared. "This party will be led by its members, not MPs."
Conference Marked by Dispute and Call for Unity
The landmark vote followed a turbulent start to the conference, which was marred by a dispute over the expulsion of several members alleged to also belong to the Socialist Workers Party.
Ms Sultana had condemned the expulsions as a "witch hunt" and boycotted the first day of proceedings in protest, calling for the members to be reinstated.
Earlier on Sunday, against a backdrop of internal strife and even threats of legal action, Mr Corbyn had made a public appeal for "unity" within the fledgling party.
In a separate vote, the conference also backed a proposal to allow members of other parties to join Your Party, provided the executive found them to be "aligned with the party's values." This measure passed with nearly 70% support.
The conference was set to conclude with Mr Corbyn announcing the result of a ballot to decide the party's formal name, with members choosing between Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, and For The Many.
