Zarah Sultana, co-leader of the new British left-wing party Your Party, recently compared her relationship with Jeremy Corbyn—the other great reference of the party— with that of the Gallagher brothers, leaders of Oasis. "If they did it, we can too," she said on October 10th. After the foundational meeting held this weekend in Manchester, it is not clear whether the comparison points to massive success or fratricidal disputes.
The truth is that the organization, which was born on July 24 with an intention to vote of 18%, has dropped to 12% in just four months. Even worse: 85% of its supporters do not rule out voting for Zack Polanski's Greens, who already reach 16% and tie with the Labour Party. What promised to be a front capable of threatening the Labour Party in the 2029 elections has turned into a weakened and disoriented structure.
Tension erupted this Saturday when Corbyn—twice a prime ministerial candidate for Labour—and Sultana—a former Labour MP until five months ago— clashed internally for leadership. Sultana ended up winning on points, but both showed visions of the country that are hardly compatible.
The result was a bewildering contrast: Corbyn, long criticized for being too left-wing by the centrist wing of Labour—embodied today by Prime Minister Keir Starmer— ended up looking almost moderate compared to Sultana's fiery speech. The 43-year-old leader attacked practically the entire British political and economic elite in front of the 2,500 conference attendees.
Sultana called for Prime Minister David Lammy—former Foreign Minister and current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice—and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to be arrested and tried by the International Criminal Court for their stance on the Gaza war. She referred to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, former Prince Andrew, as a "parasite," recalling his recent call to abolish the Monarchy. And she described the Labour government as "pathetic" for its "inability to confront the parasites who own Britain."
Against that rhetoric, Corbyn's speech—focused on "challenging economic orthodoxy" and showing "solidarity with the people of Gaza"—seemed tepid and was overshadowed by Sultana's combativeness, although doubts persist about her real ability to connect with the British electorate.
The conference concluded chaotically. Corbyn advocated for a single leadership—himself—following the traditional model of classic left-wing parties; Sultana argued for a more identity-based co-leadership. After a grotesque Saturday, with a boycott included, they finally agreed on a collegiate leadership. An assembly formula that, in practice, strengthens Sultana.
However, after a weekend full of confrontations and with the party plummeting in the polls against rising Greens, everything indicates that this leadership committee will not manage an emerging project but the slow decline of Your Party.