A stunning public feud that has erupted within the Your Party ranks this week has cast question marks over the future of the left-leaning movement.
Many disenfranchised Brits were initially excited to hear that Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana had joined forces earlier this year to launch a new political party that filled a void in an increasingly polarised political spectrum.
Their goal: to appeal to left-leaning, liberal voters in the UK and rally support for a movement that championed taxing the rich, maintaining public ownership of the NHS, challenging inequality and supporting a free Palestine.
Amid the ongoing expansion of the right-wing Reform party and hot on the heels of the Unite The Kingdom rally, many were also counting on this new party to stand as legitimate opposition to nationalist sentiments that are emerging in the UK.
All seemed to be going well, with more than 600,000 people allegedly signing up to back the new party following its launch, which massively outweighs the membership of Reform, the Conservatives and Labour.
While little was revealed about plans for the party, an inaugural conference was scheduled for November, where many anticipated campaigning would officially launch in the run-up to the next general election in 2029.
That is, until registrants received several emails this week that shed light on what appears to be infighting and chaos among the core ranks. Some hopeful voters have been left second-guessing whether they can count on Corbyn and Sultana to make it to the next election as a united front.
Here’s what you need to know.
What happened?
On Thursday, emails were sent to people who had signed up to receive notifications from Your Party that said the membership portal was now open. It took people to a page where they could sign up for paid membership, either through a monthly subscription or an annual payment.
“For too long, Britain’s politics has been run in the interests of the rich and powerful,” it read. “From Ayr to Aberystwyth, our new party is about changing that - taking power back for working people, communities and future generations. Joining isn’t just about signing up. It means taking part in a founding process that is genuinely democratic and member-led.”
According to Sultana, some 20,000 people had signed up for paid membership.
Several hours later, an email with the subject header: “URGENT EMAIL TO ALL YOURPARTY.UK SUPPORTERS” was sent to inboxes.
This email, signed off by the Independent Alliance Group’s five male MPs but omitting Ms Sultana, claimed that the previous email was unauthorised and that people should cancel direct debits.
It read: “This morning, an unauthorised email was sent to all yourparty.uk supporters with details of a supposed membership portal hosted in a new domain name. Legal advice is being taken. That email should be ignored by all supporters. If any direct debits have been set up, they should be immediately cancelled.”
Ms Sultana then took to social media, where she alleged that she had been sidelined in what she describes as a “sexist boys’ club,” and decided to send out the membership call.
“After being sidelined by the MPs named in today’s statement and effectively frozen out of the official accounts, I took the step of launching a membership portal so that supporters could continue to engage and organise,” she said.
Sultana also criticised internal financial dealings, which she alleges would mean “Karie Murphy and her associates having sole financial control of members' money.”
“I regret that today's statement has misrepresented the situation,” she continued, before later adding: “I am calling on Jeremy to meet with me and agree to make public all agreed structures, processes and decision-making protocols. Doing this will restore hope for our members and ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.”
Corbyn is yet to address the incident further following yesterday’s statement, and the membership portal now displays an error message.
What comes next?
A lot of left leaning Brits had high hopes that Corbyn and Sultana offered a solution at a time when they felt that no UK party truly represented what they stood for.
It’s unclear at this point what comes next, but some have questioned whether it could result in the party leaders going their separate ways.
A source told The Independent that “diplomatic efforts” are being made to salvage the party.
For many, it appears that efforts to be transparent about the dispute may have been a little too much, with some saying it should have been kept behind closed doors.
In a subsequent Instagram post, Sultana addressed the anti-Trump marches, adding: “Our fight is clear and we must unite against the real enemy: fascism.”
But it seems like for many, the damage had already been done.
The fallout
Many have expressed concern following the spat, suggesting that they are more likely to vote Green and support a more united party.
A London resident who asked to remain anonymous told The London Standard that they were one of many who had paid to register this week for Your Party. Following the fallout, they want their money back, but feel there wasn’t an easy way to request a refund.
“Whilst the looming threat of the right is on the rise with Reform and Kier taking Labour into the depths of the unknown, Your Party had an open goal on aligning for the people with empathy and had so much momentum,” they said. “Yet they are unable to make it out of the starting blocks airing out their at home dramas. A setback this public at such an early stage may not be something they can recover from. Perhaps we are doomed after all.”
Over on social media, many followers expressed alarm that the fallout had happened in public at a time when the stakes were high across the UK.
“Oh well, the country is only heading at full speed towards fascism, no biggie!” said journalist Owen Jones.
“Beyond disappointed,” wrote another. “In what universe is it a good idea to post this on socials. I truly felt like your party could have been a little glimmer of hope for us all and we’ve just watched it destroy itself in real time on social media. Thanks. We are fu****.”
Trying to see the funny side, one person on Twitter referenced a relatable Monty Python scene: “This is going to end up in a People's Front of Judea vs The Judean People's Front situation isn't it.”
