The newly formed left-wing movement, Your Party, has taken a dramatic step away from traditional politics by voting to be led by its ordinary members instead of high-profile figures like Jeremy Corbyn or Zarah Sultana.
A Vote for Radical Democracy
At its founding conference in Liverpool, party members made a decisive choice for their future. They voted in favour of a collective leadership model by 51.6%, narrowly defeating the option for a traditional single leader, which received 48.4% of the vote.
This result means the party, which has been marked by internal disputes and legal threats, will now be steered by its grassroots membership. The rules for this new system are set to be reviewed in late 2027.
Ending a Potential Power Struggle
The vote effectively sidesteps what could have been a contentious leadership contest between two of the party's most prominent figures: former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, who resigned from the Labour Party in the summer.
Ms Sultana, who had boycotted the first day of the conference in protest over the expulsion of some members—a move she described as a 'witch hunt'—welcomed the outcome. She is expected to end her boycott and join the conference following the historic vote.
Building a Movement from the Bottom Up
Reacting to the result, Zarah Sultana stated: "I have fought for maximum member democracy since day one. Seeing members choose collective leadership is truly exciting. Together, we’re building a new socialist party -- radically democratic and powered by a mass movement. This party will be led by its members not MPs. This is only the beginning."
A spokesperson for Your Party echoed this sentiment, saying the vote demonstrated a commitment to doing politics differently. They criticised the Westminster political class as being disconnected from ordinary people and serving corporations instead of communities.
In addition to the leadership model, members at the debut conference are also selecting an official name for the party. Options include retaining the current holding name 'Your Party', as well as ‘Our Party’, ‘Popular Alliance’, and ‘For the Many’, with the result expected later on Sunday.
