Zarah Sultana Launches Party to Change Politics

Published: 31 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Zarah Sultana, the Coventry South Member of Parliament, has announced that her newly formed left-wing political party, established alongside former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, is not merely a protest initiative but a long-term project aimed at securing state power and ultimately running the government. Despite a challenging start marked by internal disagreements, financial controversies, and leadership disputes, Sultana has emphasized that the party’s mission is to transform people’s lives by offering a credible socialist alternative.

The new party, operating under the temporary name Your Party, was founded in July following Sultana’s departure from the Labour Party. She described the initiative as a “40-year project,” signaling a commitment to sustained political engagement rather than a short-term campaign. Speaking to BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Sultana outlined the party’s vision, describing it as “socialist, democratic, and member-led.” She stressed that its focus, if elected, would include nationalizing key sectors, building council homes, and ensuring secure, quality jobs for citizens.

“I am in politics because of a desire to change people’s lives for the better,” Sultana said. “And that means winning state power, that means actually running government. We’re building a party of the left that can win power and deliver justice. This is a 10, 20, 30-year project.”

However, the fledgling party has faced internal friction from its inception. In the four months since its announcement, three officials resigned from the board of MoU Operations Ltd (MoU), the organization overseeing the party’s finances and membership. The resignations left Sultana as the sole director, amidst ongoing efforts to recover around £800,000 in donations and membership data previously held by MoU. The tensions arose after Sultana launched a membership portal through the party’s official email, which allegedly collected payment information and data from 20,000 people. Corbyn initially criticized the portal as “unauthorised” and urged supporters to cancel direct debits, although the two have since reconciled.

Name selection has also been a point of debate. While Sultana has advocated for calling the party The Left Party, Corbyn has suggested the temporary name Your Party might be retained. The final decision is expected at a founding conference in Liverpool next month, where members will also determine the party’s leadership structure. Sultana indicated she hopes to co-lead with Corbyn but is prepared to stand as a single leader if the membership chooses that model.

During the interview, Sultana did not shy away from criticism of political opponents. She described Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as exhibiting “all the features of a fascist politician,” citing concerns over his potential impact on trade unionists, working-class communities, minority groups, and LGBT rights. In response, a Reform UK spokesperson dismissed her comments, suggesting she “go back to school or buy herself a dictionary.”

Sultana linked the rise of Reform UK, which has recently opened a 10-point lead in national polls, to broader political dissatisfaction, fueled by years of austerity. To counter this, she indicated that her party would seek cooperation with the resurgent Green Party while maintaining its distinct identity, praising new Green leader Zack Polanski but clarifying, “We are a different party. There will be alliances and electoral pacts in the future.”

Addressing concerns that her party might split the left-leaning vote, Sultana argued that Labour’s past governance, including austerity measures, left voters with limited alternatives. “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, framing her party’s emergence as part of a broader effort to provide a credible, principled option for progressive voters.

Sultana’s comments underscore her ambition to establish a leftist political movement capable of contesting power at the national level, while navigating the early organizational challenges inherent in building a party from the ground up. The coming months, including the founding conference in Liverpool, will be decisive in determining whether her long-term vision can translate into tangible political influence and electoral success.