The inaugural conference of the newly formed Your Party, held in Liverpool over the weekend, descended into public disarray, exposing deep ideological rifts and raising serious questions about the movement's viability. Founded by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, the event was intended to lay the groundwork for a new political force but instead showcased a project struggling with fundamental issues of leadership and internal cohesion.
A Conference Marred by Boycotts and Entryism
The proceedings were overshadowed by internal conflict from the outset. On Saturday, Zarah Sultana boycotted her own conference in protest. The cause was a dispute over the attempted inclusion of members from the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party (SWP), a move opposed by Jeremy Corbyn and his allies.
This clash highlighted the persistent issue of "entryism" – the tactic where a small, disciplined faction infiltrates a larger, weaker political organisation. Ironically, Corbyn, who once argued against Labour's "witch-hunts" of such groups in the 1980s, found himself in the position of resisting their influence in his own new party. The situation was complicated by the fact that the SWP is not registered with the Electoral Commission, leaving Your Party's nascent rules in a muddle over how to handle the situation.
Leadership Vacuum and Soviet-Style Structures
Amid the confusion, Your Party has opted for a "collective leadership" model, explicitly avoiding a single leader or even co-leaders. This structure, reminiscent of a Soviet-era Politburo, is governed by a committee that neither Corbyn nor Sultana can chair. Critics argue this opaque system is ripe for bureaucratic takeover, inevitably succumbing to what sociologists call the "Iron Law of Oligarchy," where power becomes concentrated in the hands of a few.
The party's foundational chaos has already had consequences. Two of its handful of founding independent MPs abandoned the project just before its messy launch. Furthermore, established political groups like the Greens are keeping their distance, refusing talks on electoral pacts for fear of being tainted by the disorder. Even figureheads like George Galloway are reportedly wary of association.
Extremist Rhetoric and Policy Schisms
Beyond the organisational shambles, the conference revealed stark and potentially alienating policy positions. In a speech described as "terrifying in its political culture," Zarah Sultana employed hardline, strident language. She called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, David Lammy, and Shabana Mahmood to face trial at The Hague for "complicity in genocide."
Her vision for a one-state Palestine "from the river to the sea" implied the end of Israel as a state, a position she coupled with demands to expel the Israeli ambassador and shut the embassy. Domestically, she advocated for the nationalisation of the financial system and driving billionaires out of the country.
These stances create immediate contradictions within the party's own target demographics. Sultana's unequivocal support for the trans community, which she stated was non-negotiable, directly conflicts with the social conservatism prevalent in some Muslim communities that Your Party hopes to attract.
The weekend in Liverpool, rather than marking a bold new beginning, served as a public autopsy of a political project already straining under the weight of its own contradictions. With no clear leader, a convoluted governance structure, extremist rhetoric, and fundamental policy schisms, Your Party appears destined to follow the path of similar left-wing experiments like Respect – collapsing inward and ending up as no one's party.
