Strange things keep happening to Jeremy Corbyn. On 3 November, at a rally for Your Party in Islington North, the seat the 76-year-old MP has represented since 1983, one attendee stood up and accused him of being on the side of Zionism and imperialism. It was not the first time in recent weeks that he had been pressed on his position on Gaza. On 25 October, a similar incident occurred at a rally in north London.“I have supported Palestine all my life,” Corbyn shot back, visibly upset.
Members of Corbyn’s office can’t make sense of where this anti-Corbyn faction has come from. Many activists point to Corbyn’s co-founder, Zarah Sultana, who has described herself as anti-Zionist, while the former Labour leader has yet to say this on the record. A spokesperson for Corbyn told me: “His lifelong record of solidarity with the Palestinian people speaks for itself.”
If such factionalism within this party is a surprise, it shouldn’t be – its been dealing with infighting since its inception. This is a pivotal moment for the left: Britain has an unpopular Labour government, which is haemorrhaging members. This creates an opportunity for a new, left-wing presence. Thanks to Your Party’s chaotic start, it has been filled by the Greens instead.
Whispers of a new left-wing party first circulated when Corbyn was expelled from Labour in 2024. A motivating figure with impeccable credentials, disaffected leftists were sure that if anyone could lead the charge, it was Jez. Sultana, a millennial former NUS officer, was seen by some as an auspicious counterpart to Corbyn. One source described Sultana as Corbyn’s “heir”.
Despite such favourable circumstances, the party’s launch was fumbled not once, but twice. On 3 July, ten minutes after an informal Zoom meeting attended by key players involved in the project, Sultana announced on X that she would be co-founding a new left-wing party alongside Corbyn. According to those familiar with the meeting, a non-binding vote had taken place on the leadership structure of the new party: co-leadership between Sultana and Corbyn was chosen. But Corbyn didn’t vote. Instead, he wrote in the chat: “I don’t think this is a good idea. Can we delay?”
Sultana did not inform Corbyn of her intention to make a statement. While he was initially frustrated, the pair soon made amends, confirming their intention to found a new left-wing party steered by the Independent Alliance of MPs.
Their rapprochement did not last long. On 18 September an email went out to all 800,000 people on the Your Party mailing list. It said the party’s membership portal was open, and, for a few pounds, impatient, disillusioned leftists could join. Sultana shared the portal on X, excitedly posting as the number of members passed 20,000. But by lunchtime, something was wrong. Rumours had begun to creep into WhatsApp groups: was the launch a hoax? A statement from Corbyn and the other Independent Alliance MPs warned members off the portal. Sultana had gone rogue. Less than 24 hours later, both sides were threatening legal action.
Public tensions have since cooled – a source familiar with the pair’s relationship told me they are “WhatsApping again”. But things are still awkward. On 22 October, they were spotted in heated discussion in the Atrium of Portcullis House. Corbyn was seen gesticulating wildly, clearly annoyed. When Sultana walked away, she looked less than impressed.
The optics of a new party cannibalising itself before it has established a leader, a constitution, or even a name has led some prospective voters to seek an alternative. Many have found it in the Greens, a party that now has more than 100,000 members. Zack Polanski’s charismatic leadership and socialist beliefs have already won the support of many left-leaning voters. “People tell me all the time that they’re joining the Green Party as they’re feeling hopeful,” Polanski told me. He rejects the idea that the ongoing Green surge has anything to do with Your Party’s meltdown. “I think [the party’s growth] is timeless. It’s a moment that I don’t think is related to whatever anyone else is saying.”
Unlike Sultana and Corbyn, Polanski is everywhere. Earlier this month, a video of him dancing on Channel 4’s The Last Leg went viral and he recently appeared on stage in Cambridge alongside the millennial hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks. Polanski has been galvanised by Zohran Mamdani’s recent mayoral victory in New York – he was inundated with media requests in the week of the election. Earlier this year Mamdani’s team reached out to Polanski’s with an offer of collaboration, but Polanski turned it down. Conscious of his carbon footprint, the Green Party leader doesn’t fly.
Polanski’s ubiquity is paying off. The Greens now have more members than the Tories and have been polling ahead of Labour. And in next May’s local elections, the party looks likely to make major gains in Labour strongholds, such as Hackney, and to be kingmakers in the Senedd.
Unease within Your Party is still present. Its founding conference will take place in Liverpool at the end of the month, but a public gathering of all involved in its cursed genesis could end up making things worse. Sultana has claimed Your Party is the largest socialist party in Britain since the 1940s. But, at present, more people are joining the Greens than her nascent party. If this Green surge continues, Polanski will, in some ways, have Corbyn and Sultana to thank. The shockwaves of their turbulent relationship could soon have him crowned the most powerful leader on the British left.
[Further reading: Wes For Leader site registered yesterday]
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This article appears in the 13 Nov 2025 issue of the New Statesman, What Keir won't hear