Britain’s political scene is undergoing a dramatic transformation as a new left-wing party, provisionally called "Your Party," emerges from the growing discontent with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government. Fueled by a sense of betrayal among traditional Labour supporters, and led by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former MP Zarah Sultana, the nascent movement is gathering momentum and threatening to upend the country’s political landscape just months after Labour’s sweeping, yet “loveless,” election victory.
Corbyn, expelled from Labour in the early days of Starmer’s leadership, has wasted no time in launching a fierce critique of the government’s direction. Writing in The Independent on September 16, 2025, Corbyn accused Starmer of “trying to balance the books off the backs of the poor.” He lambasted the government for continuing “a programme of austerity and privatisation,” refusing to lift the two-child benefit cap—widely recognized as the biggest driver of child poverty—attempting to cut winter fuel allowances, increasing bus fare caps, and seeking to slash £5 billion from disability benefits. “It has curated a two-tiered benefit system that deprives thousands of people of a dignified life,” Corbyn declared, contrasting these cuts with the government’s willingness to spend billions more on defence. “Imagine how much better ordinary people’s lives would be if we spent that money on schools, hospitals and green energy instead,” he urged.
Corbyn’s criticisms resonate with a broad swath of the electorate. According to The Nation, frustration with Labour’s rightward turn and its perceived capitulation to austerity and anti-immigrant rhetoric has been simmering since the party’s 2024 general election win. The government’s handling of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including its support for Israel’s siege of Gaza and the proscription of pro-Palestine activist groups, has further alienated many on the left. Nearly 900 activists were arrested in London on September 6 during a protest supporting Palestine Action, now designated a terrorist organization by the government—a move that sparked outrage and intensified calls for an alternative to Labour.
In this climate, Corbyn and Sultana have positioned "Your Party" as a rallying point for disillusioned voters. The party’s founding conference is set for November 2025, with delegates chosen by lottery—a nod to the movement’s commitment to grassroots democracy. The party’s name, still provisional, will be decided by a vote in October, and deliberative assemblies to develop policy are slated to begin across the country later this month.
But even as "Your Party" gains traction—its website reportedly attracted 250,000 sign-ups within 24 hours of its launch, a figure now approaching 800,000—the movement faces significant internal challenges. A very public spat has erupted between Independent MPs Zarah Sultana and Adnan Hussain over trans rights, exposing deeper rifts about the party’s leadership and direction. Hussain’s comments on X advocating for “safe third spaces” and insisting that “trans women are not biologically women” drew sharp rebukes from Sultana and other progressives. “Trans rights are human rights. Your Party will defend them—no ifs, no buts,” Sultana asserted, making clear that the party’s principles would not be compromised.
This dispute, according to The New Statesman, is about more than just trans rights. It reflects anxieties about whether the new party’s founding conference should be led by MPs or genuinely democratized. Sultana, who defected from Labour in July after being suspended for her pro-Palestinian stance, has argued that the conference should not be MP-led, a position that has ruffled feathers among members of the Independent Alliance group—Corbyn, Hussain, and Sultana’s parliamentary base. Insiders warn that if these divisions are not resolved before the November conference, the split could prove fatal to the movement’s ambitions, potentially alienating both progressive and socially conservative supporters.
Despite these tensions, the appetite for a new left-wing alternative is undeniable. An August Ipsos poll cited by The Nation found that one in five Britons would consider voting for "Your Party," with support even stronger among young people, Labour voters, and Greens. The party’s assumed platform—keeping the NHS fully public, increasing taxes on the wealthy, and introducing rent controls—enjoys broad public backing. Sultana’s social media reach, second only to Nigel Farage among British politicians on platforms like TikTok, has helped galvanize a youthful, digitally savvy base.
Yet, critics abound. Ex-Labour leader Neil Kinnock and Labour MP Patrick Hurley have warned that the splintering of the left could hand votes to Reform UK and the Conservatives, while some on the left question whether a Corbyn-led movement can overcome the limitations of his previous Labour leadership. Even within "Your Party," there is debate about whether the new organization can avoid the pitfalls of the past. Sultana herself has acknowledged the need to “recognise [Corbynism’s] limitations,” and an August YouGov poll showed that while Corbyn and Sultana’s combined favourability ratings surpass Starmer’s, they remain low overall.
The party’s organizational model is also a work in progress. According to James Schneider, Progressive International’s communications director and Corbyn’s former strategic adviser, the November conference will decide not only the party’s name but also its structures and leadership—whether Corbyn and Sultana should continue as co-leaders, or if a different arrangement is preferable. “Jeremy is the older statesman, and Zarah is the future of the party,” a senior party figure told The Nation, underscoring the intergenerational dynamic at play.
Meanwhile, the party’s emergence has prompted others on the left to reconsider their strategies. Zack Polanski, the Green Party’s new leader, has welcomed the formation of "Your Party" as a potential catalyst for a broader left alliance, while activists and organizers from various backgrounds see an opportunity for cooperation reminiscent of alliances in France and Brazil. Whether such coalitions materialize remains to be seen, but the pressure is already being felt: Starmer’s government has made some overtures to the left, such as the announcement in July that the UK would recognize Palestinian statehood.
As Britain heads toward the critical November conference, the stakes for "Your Party" could hardly be higher. The party’s leadership must navigate its internal divisions, finalize its name and platform, and convince a skeptical electorate that it offers a credible alternative to both Labour and the resurgent right. For now, the movement’s message—“We are here to sow the seeds of something different… We are here to offer hope in a more equal, sustainable and peaceful world,” as Corbyn put it—has struck a chord with hundreds of thousands. The coming months will determine whether that hope can be transformed into lasting political change.
