Your Party aims to put the working class “back at the heart of politics,” Independent MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana declared, issuing a stark warning that fascism is “growling at the door.” Speaking alongside co-founder Jeremy Corbyn at The World Transformed conference in Manchester, the pair presented a united front, despite earlier tensions between them over the party’s membership system. Sultana accused Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, of “peddling racism” to distract from his true agenda of increased privatisation, deregulation, and cuts targeting ordinary people, cautioning that Farage could be Britain’s next prime minister if an election were held now.

Sultana’s rhetoric underscored a growing dissatisfaction with the current political establishment. She pointed out that the far-right gains traction in communities suffering from underfunded schools, overcrowded hospitals, expensive housing, insecure jobs, and social decay. “If they can do it, of course me and Jeremy can,” she said, framing her and Corbyn’s endeavour as a breakthrough akin to lifting a stalled show back on the road. Corbyn echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for Your Party to offer a “very, very different” alternative from the “simplistic appeal” of populist leaders like Farage, Marine Le Pen, and Geert Wilders, whose support thrives on exploiting communities facing economic and social crises.

The party founders also stressed the importance of avoiding internal discord. Corbyn urged that rather than becoming mired in “endless internal discussion,” the party must stay focused on community relevance and grassroots organising. He advocated for monthly open public events in local branches to engage communities on pressing issues such as education, healthcare, and housing. This approach, he asserted, would allow the party to become a “force for good within our society,” grounded in real local concerns rather than abstract ideological debates.

Sultana, who previously described feeling sidelined within the party’s early structures as part of a “sexist boys' club,” has since withdrawn legal proceedings against Corbyn and expressed a commitment to unity to ensure Your Party’s success. She highlighted the urgent issues driving the party’s mission, including outrage over the NHS waiting lists and the cost of living crisis, advocating for bold, collective action. Her vision includes a politics valuing diversity and empowering those historically made voiceless.

Your Party’s membership is reportedly growing across the UK, with particular engagement in London and the North West. Corbyn insisted that the party must be organised nationwide to build power at the community level and counter the far-right’s rise. Furthermore, Sultana has made it clear that the party aligns itself with broader social movements, including trade unions, grassroots activism, and the fight for Palestinian liberation, identifying Your Party as an explicitly anti-Zionist political force.

Together, Sultana and Corbyn articulate a vision of a new political formation aiming to reclaim working-class interests from what they describe as an entrenched establishment and the manipulations of far-right politics. Their challenge will be to translate these ambitions into coherent policy and widespread support, navigating early internal conflicts while standing firm against an increasingly polarised political landscape.

📌 Reference Map:

Source: Noah Wire Services