The new leftwing political project founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana is putting its identity directly into the hands of its members, asking them to choose the organisation's permanent name from a shortlist of four options.
The Name Game: Four Choices for a New Identity
Ahead of its inaugural conference in Liverpool this weekend, the party has revealed the final contenders: Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, and For The Many. The result of the membership vote will be announced by Jeremy Corbyn himself on Sunday.
The organisation, which boasts 50,000 members, was launched under the temporary banner of 'Your Party' during the summer. However, its formative months have been marked by internal disputes and disagreements, particularly between the two co-founders over the party's launch strategy and the management of funds raised from members.
Internal Challenges and Member-Led Democracy
The party has also faced turbulence in its parliamentary ranks. While it successfully attracted independent MPs like Ayoub Khan and Shockat Adam, it has already seen the departure of two others, Iqbal Mohamed and Adnan Hussain, who left amid reports of persistent infighting and a struggle for power within the nascent organisation.
Despite these challenges, the party is pushing forward with its founding conference. More than 2,500 members, selected via a lottery system, are expected to attend the Liverpool event. Their task is substantial: they will be responsible for agreeing the party's core structures, its political programme, and its overarching organisational strategy.
Key debates will centre on the party's leadership model, with members deciding between adopting a single leader or a collective, lay-member leadership model. Another critical decision will be whether the party should endorse socialist independent candidates in the 2026 English local elections.
A Vision for a New Kind of Politics
Each of the party's sitting MPs is scheduled to deliver a speech at the conference, alongside a series of grassroots community organisers and leftwing politicians from across Europe, signalling its ambition to be part of a broader movement.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Jeremy Corbyn expressed his excitement. "Over the last few months I've travelled the length and breadth of the country, speaking to people, and learning about their visions for a member-led party," he said. "I am very excited to get this party started and begin the work of building a majority for real political change. This is our chance to create a mass, democratic, socialist party that can be a voice for economic justice and peace."
The party frames its member-led approach to the conference as evidence of its commitment to doing politics differently. Zarah Sultana echoed this sentiment, stating, "I'm looking forward to the Your Party founding conference, where we'll work collectively toward our shared socialist vision. We're building a new kind of party – rooted in and democratically accountable to a mass movement."
The conference coincides with controversy, as some members have had their membership cancelled due to their affiliation with other parties, such as the Socialist Workers. Despite this official ban, Sultana's faction is supported by the Socialist Unity Platform, a lobby group that includes organisations like the Communist party of Great Britain.
