Only two months after its founding, MP Zarah Sultana was already calling the UK’s newest political party a “sexist boys’ club.” Her antagonism was surprising given that, along with the well-known socialist Jeremy Corbyn, she was one of its founders.
Their endeavor, currently known as “Your Party,” was founded earlier this year as a left-wing alternative to the governing Labour Party. Though initially full of promise — even polling at 15 percent in a hypothetical election scenario — the party’s momentum has withered after a spat between Corbyn and Sultana in September. Sultana launched a membership website for the party without the approval of the rest of her (all male) founders. Hence, the public falling-out, the threats from both sides, and the grudging reconciliation. Since the quarrel, Corbyn has announced the opening of an official membership system and the convening of a party conference in late November — without any mention of Sultana.
What was meant to be a triumphant moment for Britain’s leftists has turned into, as a party strategist put it, “misery and rage.” With this attitude only growing in their fledgling party, it’s clear that Corbyn and Sultana have a lot to learn about cooperation. For an example of a successful partnership, they need look no further than their ideological brethren across the Atlantic: Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez bear a striking resemblance to Corbyn and Sultana. Corbyn and Sanders are both older men who stand as national political behemoths; Ocasio-Cortez and Sultana are both younger women and up-and-coming figures in their respective parties. However, while Corbyn and Sultana are publicly feuding, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are nothing short of a dynamic duo. In February 2025, the two launched the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which saw them travel across the United States rallying their base against President Trump. It’s clear that the two work well together — and more importantly, have a genuine mutual respect.
It’s this element of respect that Sultana and Corbyn could stand to imitate. Sanders respects Ocasio-Cortez enough to collaborate with her on tours, videos, and campaign endorsements, presenting a united front to political opponents and constituents alike. Perhaps more importantly, he’s willing to take a step back when necessary. Sanders has said that he will not run for president in 2028, a wise decision given that he’d be the oldest ever elected at the geriatric age of 87. With whispers that Ocasio-Cortez herself may be considering a bid, Sanders stepping aside ensures she’ll have the undiluted support of American progressives.
While Sanders appears content to step aside, the 76-year-old Corbyn seems eager to leverage his political power against his youthful ally. Instead of acting as a mentor, he’s chosen to freeze her out of party politics, damaging an embryonic movement that’s supposed to emphasize democracy above all else. As the Labour government slides ever further to the right by cutting welfare programs, criminalizing peaceful pro-Palestinian protests, and rolling back transgender rights, Corbyn’s vision for Your Party hopes to symbolize a rejection of the status quo. Under his current leadership style, however, Your Party looks to be more of the same: bickering politicians, empty promises, and a failure to incorporate voters’ voices. With Your Party taking its sweet time spreading its wings — and with Labor abandoning its founding working-class values — the ominous presence of Nigel Farage and Reform UK looms large on the horizon.
One of the countless right-wing parties that have come to plague politics around the globe in recent years, Reform UK (once dedicated to pushing the disastrous Brexit decision) has been associated with Islamophobia, calling for mass deportations, and transphobia. Furthermore, its poorly-defined economic platform would mostly benefit the UK’s richest households, only marginally help the poor, and introduce £140 billion in spending commitments that the government likely can’t pay for. These policies are sure to be just as successful as those of the Republican party in the United States — that is to say, disastrous. In the face of an opponent like this, it’s vital that Your Party hits the ground running. Your Party has a chance to head off Reform, or at the very least blunt the impact of their landing — but only if they organize now. Corbyn’s current slow and steady approach risks handing 10 Downing Street over to some of the most dangerous politicians in the country.
Sultana is not without fault, either. Her rush to get the party on its feet has led to plenty of gaffes. Most notably, she insisted that the party would not be called “Your Party” while at the same time Corbyn implied that the name could be there to stay. While seemingly inconsequential, this confusion over names has made the party seem less serious of an endeavor than it ought to be, and provided plenty of ammunition to its enemies.
But, crucially, Sultana is the younger of the two leaders. As such, she represents the party’s future, and, more broadly, the future of the British left. To guarantee that his ideas can maintain relevance, Corbyn ought to be supporting her. And that support starts with forgiveness, and a willingness to include her as an equal in discussions about the party’s future. Without Sultana as the fiery force behind the party, it’s entirely possible that the political project will shed what little momentum it still has. A refusal to pass the torch to the next generation — a decision that has haunted plenty of aging politicians in the last few years — could have dire consequences for this up-and-coming political party, and for the UK as a whole.
If Sultana and Corbyn are in any sense emblematic of the generational transition in British left-wing politics, then the future looks rocky at best. But there’s still time for them to repair the rift. Sultana has already backed down from prior threats about legal action, and Corbyn seems determined to move forward with Your Party. With the party’s founding conference fast approaching at the end of November, Corbyn has the perfect opportunity to mend his mistakes: bring Sultana out on stage. The two of them need to work together throughout the conference, publicly resolving differences and presenting a united front.
Most importantly, Sultana needs to lead the party, not Corbyn. Soon, she’ll soon have the chance to do so. According to Your Party’s newly-released founding documents, the party will only vote on one leader during elections in January. Corbyn has decades of political expertise to share — but he should not be the face of the new party. Instead of standing for election, he ought to support Sultana, backing a young leader at a moment that promises to be pivotal.
By giving up hopes of the party being “His Party,” Corbyn will ensure that the party lives up to its (possibly temporary) name. It will only be Your Party if Corbyn allows it to be.
Featured Image Source: openDemocracy
