The founding conference of Your Party, the new left-wing political project spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, erupted into controversy on November 29, 2025, as Sultana staged a dramatic boycott of the event in protest over the expulsion of members from left-wing groups. The conference, held in Liverpool and billed as a historic moment for the British left, was meant to chart a new course for socialist politics in the UK. Instead, it has been overshadowed by infighting, allegations of undemocratic practices, and a deepening rift between its co-founders.
On the eve of the conference, tensions boiled over when several members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), including national secretary Lewis Nielsen, received expulsion letters citing a breach of party rules that prohibit dual membership with other political parties. According to Sky News, Sultana’s spokesperson condemned the move as a “witch hunt,” declaring, “This witch hunt is indefensible. We must build a party that welcomes all socialists.” Sultana herself met with members outside the conference venue, refusing to set foot inside the hall and vowing not to return until her scheduled speech the following day.
"Absolutely," Sultana told the BBC when asked if she stood by her claim that a witch hunt was underway. “It is disgusting to see the type of behaviour we have seen in the Labour Party. It's a toxic culture we're not seeking to replicate here.” She went further, accusing “nameless and faceless bureaucrats” of orchestrating the expulsions “without the membership actually voting on it.” Sultana argued that socialists from different groups “shouldn’t be made to choose” between their existing affiliations and participation in Your Party.
Party officials, however, have denied allegations of a purge. A spokesperson for Your Party insisted, “Members of another national political party signed up to Your Party in contravention of clearly-stated membership rules – and these rules were enforced.” The spokesperson added, “We're focused on hosting a democratic founding conference with thousands of members coming together to debate and decide the big issues. This is politics outside the Westminster mould: from the ground up, not the top down.”
The expulsions have ignited a wider debate about the party’s constitution, particularly the ban on dual membership. Many grassroots activists see the rule as an obstacle to building a broad, inclusive left movement. As reported by Novara Media, the controversy has left some questioning why expulsions occurred before members could vote on whether to ratify or reject the rule during the conference. Lewis Nielsen, the SWP’s national secretary, told Sky News, “It’s wrong for those at the top of Your Party to turn fire on socialists like us who have been key to building Your Party on the ground, and are determined to make it the insurgent, inspiring force it can be.”
The discord was not limited to the SWP. Members of the socialist group Counterfire were also barred from the conference, allegedly due to intelligence suggesting they might be disruptive—a claim flatly denied by those members. Councillor Michael Lavalette, a Counterfire supporter and a founding member of Your Party’s Preston branch, told Sky News, “Counterfire is a very pro-Your Party organisation so I am not sure where that has come from.”
Sultana’s boycott and the expulsions have exposed deeper divisions within the party’s leadership. She has long advocated for “maximum member democracy,” pushing for a party led by its grassroots members rather than a central clique. Her allies view the expulsions as an attempt to silence those who support a more democratic, member-driven structure. The controversy follows a series of earlier disputes between Sultana and Corbyn’s inner circle, including a major falling out in September over the party’s structure and control of membership data. Sultana accused the group of being a “sexist boys club” and briefly launched an unauthorized membership portal, nearly derailing the project.
Jeremy Corbyn, for his part, used his conference speech to call for unity. “As a party, we've got to come together and be united, because division and disunity will not serve the interests of the people that we want to represent,” he said, according to the BBC. Corbyn acknowledged “mistakes” during the party’s turbulent founding process and urged members to seize the “unique opportunity” to create a socialist party of mass appeal. He also called for public democratic ownership of the water industry, led a chant of “free, free Palestine,” and urged the party to “campaign forevermore for real socialism and real social justice.”
Despite the calls for unity, the party’s internal tensions have led to the resignation of two MPs, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed, who cited a “toxic culture” within the organization. The pair also criticized Sultana for failing to transfer roughly £800,000 in party donations held by a company she controls; Sultana has since transferred £600,000 and promised the remainder will be paid “as soon as possible, as the legal details are ironed out.”
The conference itself was marked by further disruptions and allegations of heavy-handed tactics by organizers. At a pre-conference rally organized by Corbyn, hecklers demanding he denounce Zionism were removed by security at the direction of key aide Karie Murphy. Later, during the conference, a stallholder for Stand Up To Racism—believed to be a member of the SWP—was forcibly ejected from the venue, again reportedly on Murphy’s orders. These incidents have fueled criticism from Sultana’s camp about undemocratic processes and the influence of unelected advisors.
Meanwhile, Sultana’s own event on the evening of November 28 drew a packed crowd and prominent speakers, including union leaders and activists, all calling for greater member control and transparency. Sultana outlined her top policy priorities, which included a wealth tax, nationalization of the entire economy (with specific mention of utilities, transport, energy, banks, and construction), free childcare, free public transport, and a £20 minimum wage. Corbyn, in his speech, focused on the failures of privatization and the need to break the Westminster “triopoly” of Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Tories.
The party’s founding conference was also set to decide on its official name, leadership structure, and constitution. While “Your Party” was confirmed as Corbyn’s favored name, Sultana’s preferred choice, “The Left Party,” was not included on the final ballot—another point of contention and evidence, her supporters say, of exclusion from key decisions.
As the dust settles from a bruising first day, both Sultana and Corbyn insist they are committed to the project, even as they acknowledge their differences. Sultana, despite her boycott, is expected to deliver her keynote address on the conference’s second day, though crucial votes on party rules will have already concluded. The coming weeks will reveal whether Your Party can overcome its internal strife and present a united front ahead of the local elections in May 2026—or whether its founding will be remembered more for its chaos than its promise.
