Key Points
- Jeremy Corbyn faces factional challenges, including accusations of siding with Zionism at Your Party rallies.
- Corbyn’s office and supporters highlight his lifelong solidarity with Palestine amid recent criticisms.
- Your Party, co-founded by Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, has experienced internal conflicts and leadership disputes.
- Sultana, initially seen as Corbyn’s potential successor, clashed publicly with him over party launch matters.
- Your Party’s troubled start contrasts with the Greens’ steady growth under Zack Polanski’s leadership.
- The Greens now boast over 100,000 members, surpassing the Conservative membership and polling ahead of Labour.
- Polanski’s charismatic and visible leadership has attracted left-leaning voters seeking a viable alternative.
- Your Party’s upcoming founding conference may worsen internal divisions, while the Greens are poised for electoral gains.
What is happening within Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party?
Strange things have unfolded around Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, since his expulsion from the party in 2024. As reported by a journalist of The Times, crowds at rallies for Your Party have confronted Corbyn over his stance on Gaza and Palestine. For example, on 3 November in Islington, North London an attendee accused him of supporting Zionism and imperialism, a charge Corbyn strongly denied. The former Labour MP, visibly emotional, asserted,
“I have supported Palestine all my life.”
Members of Corbyn’s office appear puzzled about the growing anti-Corbyn sentiment within the left-wing faction that is Your Party. Many activists point to Zarah Sultana, a co-founder of Your Party and a vocal anti-Zionist, who contrasts with Corbyn’s refusal to state such views explicitly on record. A spokesperson for Corbyn told The Times,
“His lifelong record of solidarity with the Palestinian people speaks for itself,”
defending Corbyn amid increasing criticisms.
Why is Your Party experiencing such internal conflict?
Factionalism is not new to left-wing movements, and Your Party is no exception. With the current Labour government unpopular and losing members, the left-wing space in Britain has opened up for new actors. Despite initial hopes that Corbyn, supported by a promising figure like Sultana, could lead a new left-wing movement, Your Party has struggled considerably since its announcement.
According to investigative reporting by The Guardian, the party’s launch was chaotic from the start. On 3 July, ten minutes after a Zoom meeting where leadership was to be decided, Sultana unexpectedly announced on X (formerly Twitter) that she and Corbyn would co-found the new party. She did this without informing Corbyn, who had reservations and wrote in the chat,
“I don’t think this is a good idea. Can we delay?”
Though Corbyn and Sultana quickly reconciled after the incident, deeper fissures soon surfaced. By 18 September, when an email was sent to 800,000 people advertising the opening of the party’s membership portal, Sultana enthusiastically pushed for rapid growth. However, within 24 hours, Corbyn and other Independent Alliance MPs warned potential members off the portal, accusing Sultana of acting independently and off-script. Legal threats were exchanged, publicly exposing the party’s internal divisions.
How have Corbyn and Sultana’s relations affected Your Party’s prospects?
Their difficult relationship has been visible and tense. The Telegraph reported on 22 October that Corbyn and Sultana were spotted in a heated exchange in the Atrium of Portcullis House. Corbyn appeared frustrated and gesticulated wildly, while Sultana left looking unimpressed. Though sources suggest they have resumed communication through WhatsApp, the awkwardness remains palpable.
These public disputes and factional confusion have tarnished Your Party’s image. Without a stable leader, constitution, or even an official name, the party has failed to consolidate the left-wing vote. This failure directly contrasts with the electoral momentum accumulating around the Green Party.
Why is Zack Polanski becoming a powerful figure on the left?
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has emerged as a charismatic and ubiquitous figure attracting left-leaning voters disillusioned by the turmoil at Your Party. The Independent highlights his growing media presence—he recently went viral for dancing on Channel 4’s The Last Leg and appeared at a major event with the hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks in Cambridge.
Polanski has been inspired by Zohran Mamdani’s recent New York mayoral victory but declined collaboration offers from Mamdani’s team earlier this year, citing environmental concerns related to travel. The Green Party leader said in an interview with The Independent,
“People tell me all the time that they’re joining the Green Party as they’re feeling hopeful.”
He dismissed connections between the Greens’ growth and the Your Party crisis, calling it “timeless.”
How have the Greens outpaced Labour and Your Party?
The Greens have surpassed 100,000 members, now exceeding the Conservative Party’s membership, and polling ahead of Labour nationally. Upcoming local elections in May hold promise for significant gains, especially in Labour strongholds like Hackney, while the Greens may become kingmakers in Wales’ Senedd.
As reported by The Guardian, the Green Party’s steady organisational growth and clear leadership under Polanski contrast sharply with the fragmentation plaguing Your Party. This solid footing has attracted left-wing voters seeking a credible alternative to Labour and the fractured new left-wing movement.
What does this mean for the future of the British left?
Your Party’s founding conference is scheduled for late November in Liverpool, but internal tensions raise concerns that public scrutiny may deepen its divides instead of healing them. Sultana claims that Your Party is “the largest socialist party in Britain since the 1940s,” yet reality suggests that more people are joining the Greens.
Zack Polanski, rising amidst the shockwaves of Corbyn and Sultana’s bitter struggles, is positioned to become the most influential figure on the British left. If the Greens maintain their current trajectory, Polanski’s leadership could redefine left-wing politics in the UK, capitalising on voters’ desire for unity, hope, and clear direction.
