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Vox Political analysis

When Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana launched what was meant to be the UK left’s great new hope, it seemed unstoppable.

Back in July, they promised a mass-membership, grassroots-led party that would challenge the rich and powerful, offer a serious alternative to Labour, and re-energise socialist politics in Britain.

Early polling suggested that, before even holding its founding conference, it could attract up to 15 per cent of the vote.

Nearly 800,000 supporters signed up, inspired by the idea of a party built on transparency, democracy, and principle.

Two months later, that dream seemed to be falling apart in the worst way possible: at the hands of the personalities at its helm.

The implosion

The crisis erupted last Thursday (September 18), when supporters of the still-unnamed “Your Party” received an email inviting them to become full members with either a £5 monthly or £55 annual subscription.

The message linked to a website Sultana had launched herself, which she insisted followed the roadmap agreed by party officials. Within hours, she claimed more than 20,000 people had signed up, potentially raising over £1 million.

Jeremy Corbyn and the four Independent Alliance MPs who are also involved in the new party immediately denounced the email as “unauthorised,” telling supporters to cancel direct debits and reporting the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over suspected misuse of personal data.

Sultana hit back, describing the party’s working group as a “sexist boys’ club” that had sidelined her, and accusing Corbyn’s long-time associate Karie Murphy of attempting to monopolise control of the party’s finances and conference.

Corbyn responded by defending Murphy, warning that Sultana’s actions could constitute a data breach, escalating the row into a public crisis.

A history of tension

Thursday’s explosion grabbed headlines – but it seems the row was the culmination of months of tension.

The Morning Star has claimed that Corbyn and Sultana’s relationship had been fraught from the start.

A committee had voted for them to be co-leaders, but Corbyn rejected the role, preferring oversight to be handed to the Independent Alliance of MPs — four men who consistently backed him.

Sultana felt isolated as other MPs routinely supported Corbyn and resisted her suggestions to broaden the leadership team – according to the paper.

Disputes also arose over Gaza, transgender rights, and the party’s approach to policy. Sultana’s critical interview with the New Left Review examining “Corbynism” did not sit well with Corbyn’s circle.

So it seems Your Party’s foundations were already shaky before the membership portal incident.

Supporter reaction

The fallout was immediate.

Grassroots supporters expressed confusion and anger: thousands had signed up, only to be told they might not even be members.

Many feared their personal details or funds were at risk, given the ICO referral.

Social media was awash with disbelief.

One supporter told the Morning Star, “Never have the hopes of so many been dashed by so few.”

The sense of momentum and excitement that had driven the party’s rapid growth seemed to evaporate almost overnight.

Potential consequences

The political stakes are significant.

For Labour leader Keir Starmer, the implosion is a relief — the left-wing alternative that could have undermined his party’s dominance appears destabilised.

For the Greens, it is an opportunity: their new leadership can now claim to be the only stable, serious party to the left of Labour.

But for the broader left it is a moment of heartbreak.

A movement that promised to unite socialists, protect grassroots participation, and challenge austerity has been undone by internal conflict and mismanagement.

Steps toward reconciliation

There is a potential silver lining to this dismal tale.

According to the BBC, Sultana has dropped her legal threats against Corbyn and others, saying she is “determined to reconcile and move forward.”

She emphasised her respect for Corbyn, described the situation as “regrettable,” and reassured supporters that she is working to keep the party unified while centring the grassroots.

Mediation is under way, and both leaders still intend to hold the founding conference in November.

Sultana’s change in tone signals a willingness to heal the rift, but it does not erase the serious issues that sparked the conflict: the accusations of sexism, the referral to the ICO, and questions over financial and constitutional control remain unresolved.

Can the party survive?

Supporters are now calling for accountability, compromise, and clear structures.

A successful reconciliation could stabilise the party and allow it to continue building momentum, they hope.

A failure could see the entire project collapse, leaving the Greens as the only credible alternative on the left and relieving Labour of immediate electoral pressure.

From the coverage, it seems the onus is on Corbyn’s group to unclench and allow Your Party to have the democratic structures Sultana says were agreed. How could potential party members have any faith in it if its first action was to betray its promise to represent the will of its members in order to give a group of (male) MPs practically dictatorial power? Nobody wants that.

So Your Party – and the UK left – faces a moment of truth.

The party that once inspired hope must try to rebuild trust from the rubble it has created.

The glimmer of compromise suggests that all is not yet lost.

For the supporters who have invested so much into the project – emotionally, if not also financially – the next few weeks will be critical.

Unity, maturity, and genuine grassroots engagement will determine whether this project survives.

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