UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Your Party members backed collective leadership and dual membership, giving ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana a political win over former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
As reported by the Guardian, the new leftwing party led by Jeremy Corbyn narrowly backed a shift to “collective leadership”, marking a clear victory for Zarah Sultana after weeks of tension with the party’s co-founder.
Party members also rejected a rival plan for a single leader, a move that could have forced a leadership contest between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, but the proposal was voted down.
What did Your Party members decide on leadership and membership rules?
Sunday’s announcement came after a tense start to the Your Party founding conference.
Zarah Sultana, now sitting as an independent, boycotted the opening session over disputes about the proposed governance structure.
Ahead of the vote on the party’s constitutional framework, Jeremy Corbyn said the public would struggle to understand a system where “around 10 people effectively run things.”
Party members voted 51.6% to 48.6% in favor of a collective leadership model. The party’s official name will be revealed later on Sunday.
A new member-led executive will oversee major decisions on the party’s management and strategy, supported by a chair, deputy chair, and spokesperson to provide public leadership.
Ms Sultana’s other proposals were approved, including a rule permitting members to join multiple political parties. The vote in favor of dual membership comes amid internal tensions.
Ms Sultana boycotted Saturday’s session in solidarity with delegates expelled over links to other left-wing parties, calling it a “witch-hunt.”
Members from other political parties will be eligible to join only after their party is approved by its executive and conference as aligned with the party’s values.
Mr Corbyn told reporters on Saturday that entry to Your Party would be allowed only if members were not aligned with other parties registered with the Electoral Commission.
Commenting on the party leadership, Ms Sultana said,
“I’ve publicly supported a co-leadership model. The fact it hasn’t been given to members as an option to vote on is regrettable, and the fact that has been decided by a faceless, nameless bureaucrat is quite concerning.”
The party released a shortlist of names for members to choose from, to be announced later: Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, and For The Many.
The party’s launch has been plagued by internal disputes, leading to a troubled membership rollout and threats of legal action. Two independent MPs, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed, withdrew from the founding process amid the disagreements.
What did the poll reveal about the threat from Your Party?
Pollsters have warned that the new group could pose a potential threat to Labour, risking the loss of substantial support from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
A Find Out Now survey conducted over the summer found that Your Party and Labour each held 15% support, placing them behind Reform on 34% and the Tories on 17%.
Luke Tryl from More in Common told The Independent in August that a new Corbyn-led party could take 10% of the vote, drawing support away from Labour and the Greens.
A new YouGov poll shows Reform UK is projected to win 311 seats, Labour 144, the Conservatives 45, the Liberal Democrats 78, and the SNP 37.
