Five months after its launch, Jeremy Corbyn's new left-wing political project is finally holding its first conference this weekend in a bid to resolve its many internal crises, not least deciding on a permanent name.
A Party Divided
The socialist collective, which has been operating under the provisional title Your Party, is gathering in Liverpool against a backdrop of profound internal division. What was meant to be a display of unity has instead highlighted a deep rift between its most prominent figures.
The conference begins with Jeremy Corbyn and fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana holding rival rallies for their supporters tonight, with their events taking place just half a mile apart. Ms Sultana initially did not invite Mr Corbyn to her event, prompting the former Labour leader to schedule his own gathering an hour earlier, where he will be joined by his long-time ally, former Unite union boss Len McCluskey.
Leadership Rifts and 'Sexist Boys Club' Allegations
The partnership between Corbyn and Sultana has completely broken down since she quit the Labour Party in July, announcing she would co-lead the new party with him. That arrangement is now described as 'very unlikely to happen'.
The situation deteriorated further when Ms Sultana became involved in a major rift with Mr Corbyn and the other male MPs involved in the party, publicly branding them a 'sexist boys club'. After seeing her chances of becoming co-leader dashed, she this week backed plans for a 'collective leadership' model specifically designed to block Mr Corbyn from taking sole charge.
An Apology and Further Setbacks
In an interview with the New Statesman, Jeremy Corbyn offered a lukewarm apology to his supporters for the chaotic launch. 'I am sorry if you are all disappointed,' he said, adding, 'For any misdemeanours on my part, of course, I apologise. But I want to make things work.'
Despite serving as interim leader and being the favourite to become permanent leader in a vote next year, the 76-year-old was evasive about his intentions, telling the magazine he was 'very prepared to do that job' and 'I'm around, I'm here.' Allies, however, suggested he was being 'a touch avoidant', with one noting his propensity to 'disappear to his allotment for 24 hours without his phone'.
The party has also suffered significant departures. Earlier this month, two MPs, Iqbal Mohamed and Adnan Hussain, pulled out of the effort to establish the new outfit. Mr Hussain cited concerns about factionalism and 'veiled prejudice' against Muslims.
Compounding these troubles, the Green Party under new leader Zack Polanski has surged in the polls, successfully winning over the very disillusioned Labour voters that Your Party had hoped to attract.
A key activity for the conference delegates will be to produce a shortlist of permanent names for the party. These will be put to a vote, and the winner is scheduled to be announced by Jeremy Corbyn in his speech on Sunday night. Whether this will be enough to unite a fractured party remains to be seen.
