Last weekend, Your Party officially split as 250 members voted to establish a new left-wing party, the Socialist Federation. Neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Zarah Sultana are part of this new faction; both remain in Your Party. The split highlights ongoing internal conflicts that have plagued the party since its inception.
Public disputes have been a hallmark of Your Party. When Sultana announced its foundation on X last July, Corbyn appeared surprised despite being co-leader. By November’s conference, Sultana boycotted the event amid bitter disagreements over the handling of 800,000 early sign-ups. Many members were expelled for also belonging to the Socialist Workers Party, a move critics liken to Labour’s left purges.
Despite open criticism of each other’s failings, ideological differences remain unclear. Key figures accuse each other of stitch-ups, witch-hunts, and unauthorised mailouts. The only contested issues are trans rights and the language around Israel and Gaza, with Sultana identifying as anti-Zionist while Corbyn supports Palestine but dislikes the term. These debates are conducted too openly for resolution yet not transparently enough to show progress.
The split reflects a long history of leftist infighting within the Labour movement, from Brexit and Iraq to Clause IV and nuclear disarmament. While Your Party is a left-wing grouping, the same disputatious history informs its divisions, leaving MPs and staff embattled and unable to forge alliances. The Labour landscape is now fragmented into Your Party, the Socialist Federation, the Labour Party, and other factions.
Observers note the paradox that a party forged with solidarity as its mission cannot maintain internal harmony. However, the deeper issue is that the labour movement’s emphasis on collective will makes it unable to rest until consensus is achieved, perpetuating cycles of conflict.
