The fledgling left-wing political movement, Your Party, is facing a significant internal rift as its two most prominent co-founders, Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, engage in a struggle for influence over its future direction.
Insiders have characterised the conflict as a "proxy war", with the battle centring on control of the party's new governing body, the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
The Battle for the Executive Committee
At its founding conference in November 2025, members opted for a collective leadership model, meaning the party would be steered by a 24-person CEC rather than a single leader. This decision initially averted a direct contest for the top job between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, who have had several public disagreements since co-founding the party in July.
However, that tension has now resurfaced. Both figureheads are backing rival slates of candidates to fill the powerful CEC positions. Sources describe the clash as one of both personalities and vision for what the newborn party should represent.
A key division is economic policy. While Mr Corbyn's longstanding position advocates for nationalising utilities and reversing public service cuts, the slate endorsed by Ms Sultana, called "Grassroots Left", goes further. It calls for an end to private ownership of all means of production, aiming for democratic worker ownership rather than state control.
A Clash of Visions and Personalities
Significantly, the Grassroots Left slate includes Mr Corbyn's name, a move that has reportedly upset the former Labour leader. Sources close to him say he requested its removal, feeling its inclusion falsely presents a unified front he endorses.
Instead, Mr Corbyn is expected to lay out his own vision for Your Party in the coming days, backing a separate candidate list comprising community organisers, trade unionists, and anti-racist activists to "reflect a broad left politics".
A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn stated: "Jeremy will be laying out his vision for Your Party in the coming days, including his ambition to help build a diverse and broad-based movement for the change this country needs."
Supporters of the more radical Grassroots Left position argue the party must distinguish itself from the Greens and offer meaningful opposition to capitalism, suggesting Mr Corbyn's previous leadership was "too focused" on elections. They describe their stance as being "to the left of the left" rather than "hard left".
Path to a Decision
Any of the party's approximately 50,000 members can nominate themselves for the CEC. The nomination deadline is Friday 16 January 2026, followed by an endorsement period. A final vote will be held at the end of February.
It remains possible that no single slate will dominate, resulting in a mixed CEC. Once formed, the committee will internally decide senior leadership roles, which are not open to sitting MPs.
Ms Sultana defended her slate, saying: "Members didn't join to be spectators while decisions are stitched up at the top. This slate is about taking back control and building a party that fights for working people."
The outcome of this internal contest will critically shape the ideology and structure of a party created to provide a left alternative to Labour.
