Jeremy Corbyn has faced sharp criticism from within his own party's hard-left faction, with rival Zarah Sultana accusing him of profound disorganisation. The dispute centres on Your Party's decision not to contest the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election later this month.
Internal Strife Over Electoral Strategy
Your Party, launched last summer with Mr Corbyn as its interim leader, announced it would not stand a candidate in the crucial vote. Instead, the party stated it would focus on broadly mobilising against the far-right to prevent a potential Reform UK victory. A party spokesman explained that, following consultation with local members, standing a candidate would not serve the collective goals at this stage, as the party is still in the process of establishing itself.
Sultana's Scathing Critique
However, Ms Sultana, a former Labour MP now vying for control within Your Party, suggested the decision stemmed from failures in Mr Corbyn's leadership. She claimed the unelected interim leadership had not formalised local branches or ensured members had access to their own data, processes she argued should have been resolved months ago.
'This should have been resolved months ago, allowing local members to democratically select a Your Party candidate for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election,' she declared on social media platform X.
In the absence of a Your Party candidate, Ms Sultana announced she would back Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer. Mr Corbyn appeared to endorse this move, praising Ms Spencer's desire to put more working-class people in the Commons and tweeting support for her campaign against the far-right.
Broader Political Context
The by-election was triggered when disgraced former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne stood down citing health reasons. Labour has selected Manchester city councillor Angeliki Stogia as its candidate, after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was blocked from standing.
The electoral landscape appears competitive:
- Reform UK has chosen GB News presenter and former academic Matt Goodwin.
- The Greens are fielding councillor and plumber Hannah Spencer.
- The Conservatives have selected retired police detective Charlotte Cadden.
- The Liberal Democrats have named local campaigner Jackie Pearcey.
An early opinion poll has suggested Labour's support could weaken in the seat, with Reform and the Greens potentially gaining ground, though the survey's small sample size means it carries a significant margin of error.
Ongoing Internal Power Struggle
The clash between Ms Sultana and Mr Corbyn's faction is part of a longer-running conflict within Your Party. Tensions erupted when Ms Sultana walked out on Labour and declared she would co-lead the new party, a move that surprised Mr Corbyn and his allies. This led to months of clashes, during which she accused them of running a 'sexist boys club.'
The party is now attempting to move past these divisions as it holds elections for its new controlling leadership council. Candidates have been instructed to refrain from personal attacks on rivals. Nominations opened last month for the committee that will run the party, following a members' vote to block any MPs from serving as sole leader. The election results are scheduled for announcement at the end of February after a nearly two-month contest.
Despite the internal friction, Your Party's spokesman emphasised the imperative of defeating Reform in Gorton and Denton to beat back the far-right tide. The party commits to actively mobilising against far-right forces while continuing to build a mass movement capable of electing socialist and anti-war candidates nationwide.
