The new left-wing political project founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana has taken a significant step forward by revealing the four potential names from which its membership will choose.
The shortlist comprises: Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, and For The Many. This decision marks a crucial moment for the organisation as it prepares for its inaugural conference in Liverpool this weekend.
A Democratic Beginning
Ahead of the gathering, the party is putting the question of its permanent identity directly to its 50,000 members. The outcome of this democratic vote will be unveiled by Jeremy Corbyn himself on Sunday. The organisation has been operating under the temporary moniker 'Your Party' since its launch in the summer, a period that has been characterised by internal disputes and disagreements.
Reports indicate there have been tensions between the co-founders, Corbyn and Sultana, concerning the initial launch strategy and the management of funds raised from the membership. The party successfully attracted other independent MPs, including Ayoub Khan and Shockat Adam, but its early stages have also seen departures. MPs Iqbal Mohamed and Adnan Hussain have already resigned, citing persistent infighting and a struggle for control within the nascent organisation.
The Liverpool Conference Agenda
More than 2,500 members, selected via a lottery system, are expected to attend the Liverpool event. This founding conference will be tasked with establishing the party's core foundations. Attendees will debate and agree upon the party's structures, its political programme, and its overarching organisational strategy.
One of the most significant questions for debate is the party's leadership model. Members will decide whether to adopt a traditional single leader or embrace a more radical 'collective, lay-member leadership model'. Another key decision will be whether the party should endorse socialist independent candidates in the upcoming 2026 English local elections.
The conference agenda features speeches from each of the party's sitting MPs, alongside addresses from grassroots community organisers and leftwing politicians from across Europe, signalling its internationalist ambitions.
Founders' Vision and Internal Tensions
Ahead of the conference, Jeremy Corbyn expressed his enthusiasm for the project. "Over the last few months I've travelled the length and breadth of the country, speaking to people, and learning about their visions for a member-led party," he said. "I am very excited to get this party started and begin the work of building a majority for real political change. This is our chance to create a mass, democratic, socialist party that can be a voice for economic justice and peace."
The party has stated that its collaborative approach to the conference demonstrates a commitment to doing politics differently. Zarah Sultana echoed this sentiment, saying, "I'm looking forward to the Your Party founding conference, where we'll work collectively toward our shared socialist vision. We're building a new kind of party – rooted in and democratically accountable to a mass movement."
However, the conference coincides with internal controversy, as some individuals have had their memberships cancelled due to their affiliations with other parties, such as the Socialist Workers Party. Despite this official ban, Sultana herself is supported by the Socialist Unity Platform, a lobby group that includes organisations like the Communist party of Great Britain, highlighting the complex ideological currents within the new movement.
