Coventry South MP declares ambitious “40-year project” to challenge Labour despite leadership splits and financial disputes
Zarah Sultana has declared that her newly formed left-wing party, currently operating under the temporary name Your Party, is serious about winning government power despite a turbulent first four months marked by internal disputes and financial controversies.
Speaking on BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, the Coventry South MP, who left Labour in July alongside Jeremy Corbyn, insisted the movement represents a genuine alternative rather than a protest party. “I’m in politics because of a desire to change people’s lives for the better, and that means winning state power, that means actually running government,” Sultana said.
A Socialist Vision
The party promises to be “socialist, democratic and member-led,” with policy priorities including nationalization, building council homes, and creating secure jobs. Sultana described it as a “10, 20, 30-year project” designed to “win power and deliver justice.”
Despite attracting hundreds of thousands of sign-ups, the fledgling movement has been plagued by disagreements over leadership, finances, and even its official name. Three officials recently resigned from the board of MoU Operations Ltd, which oversees the party’s finances and membership, leaving Sultana as the sole director.
Financial Disputes and Reconciliation
The party is reportedly still trying to recover approximately £800,000 in donations and data held by MoU following a significant internal schism. The dispute erupted when Sultana launched a membership portal through the party’s official email account, collecting payments and data from an alleged 20,000 people without authorization.
Corbyn initially branded the emails “unauthorised” and urged supporters to cancel their direct debits, escalating tensions that included legal threats and accusations of a “sexist boys’ club.” The pair have since reconciled, though debates continue over whether the party should be called The Left Party, as Sultana prefers, or retain the Your Party name that Corbyn has suggested keeping.
Members will vote on the official name at a founding conference in Liverpool next month, where the party constitution will also be agreed.
Leadership and Electoral Strategy
Sultana hopes to co-lead the party with Corbyn but said she will “throw her hat in the ring” if members prefer a single leader structure. Looking ahead to electoral strategy, she suggested forming alliances with the Green Party to counter the rise of Reform UK, which currently holds a 10-point lead in national polls.
“There will be those alliances and those electoral pacts in the future,” Sultana said, though she emphasized that her party remains distinct from the Greens under new leader Zack Polanski.
Fiery Political Rhetoric
In a controversial moment during the interview, Sultana accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of having “all the features of a fascist politician,” citing concerns about his stance on trade union rights, minority communities, and the European Convention on Human Rights.
A Reform UK spokesman dismissed her comments, suggesting she should “go back to school or buy herself a dictionary.”
When challenged about potentially splitting the left-wing vote and damaging Labour’s electoral prospects, Sultana was unapologetic. “The Labour Party actually was quite content because it thought the left had nowhere else to go—and now the left has choices,” she said, referencing her criticism of Labour’s policies on austerity and international conflicts.
As the party prepares for its founding conference, the question remains whether Your Party can overcome its early growing pains and transform from a movement of hundreds of thousands of supporters into a credible electoral force.
