Your Party’s first conference shows little sign of achieving fresh start

When the idea of a new leftwing party spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana was first mooted in the summer, it was so popular that hundreds of thousands of people expressed an interest in joining.Although it was quickly beset by arguments – its co-founders rowed bitterly over its initial leadership and funding model – many hoped this weekend’s inaugural conference would signal a fresh start.A sizeable chunk of the 2,500 delegates are former Labour members, disappointed by the policies of the current government and looking for a political home as they worry about the rise of Reform UK.As plans for the party’s first official gathering were finalised, Sultana and Corbyn looked to have buried the hatchet. Appearing at a leftwing festival in Manchester last month, Sultana jokingly compared the duo to the Gallagher brothers, saying: “I’m here to tell you the show is back on the road.”Yet when the doors to the conference centre in Liverpool opened on Saturday morning, Sultana was curiously absent. As Corbyn delivered his opening address, she was sipping hot chocolate in a cafe about a mile from the venue.It became evident there was no unified position on how the party should be led. Corbyn told journalists he favoured a traditional leadership model, with one person elected to take charge, and suggested he’d be likely to run if members voted for this option.Zarah Sultana wants Your Party to have a collective leadership structure, whereas Jeremy Corbyn favours a traditional model. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PABut in an interview with the Guardian, Sultana said she was supporting a collective leadership structure, with key decisions being taken by lay members – those not already serving as MPs or councillors. She added that she did not think parties should be run by “sole personalities”. She did, however, indicate she would be willing to stand against Corbyn if there was a contest for a single leader.Although Sultana insisted she and the former Labour leader were getting on “really well” – they had, she said, spoken about how they wanted the conference to be “a positive, joyful experience where members feel empowered” – she was scathing about some of his allies and Your Party officials whom she believes are briefing against her. She refused to provide names, but it is understood that relations between her supporters and Corbyn’s former chief of staff Karie Murphy are particularly fraught.The Coventry South MP – who defected from Labour in July – added that there was still a “toxic culture” among others in Your Party, which had led to “bullying, intimidation and smears” and “acts of deliberate sabotage”.Tensions came to a head around lunchtime when it emerged Sultana would boycott the first day of the conference, in solidarity with would-be delegates who had been turned away from the event due to affiliations with other leftwing groups – particularly the Socialist Workers party. Her spokesperson described this as a “witch-hunt”, adding: “We must build a party that welcomes all socialists.”Allies of Corbyn – who wrongly asserted on Saturday morning that the Socialist Workers party was registered with the Electoral Commission – were furious, accusing Sultana of attempting to stage a “sideshow”. They believe allowing multiparty membership would cause disruption and increase the factionalism which already appears to have crippled the fledgling movement.Supporters during the Your Party founding conference. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PAOn the status of the Socialist Workers party, one Corbyn ally said: “It might not be registered with the Electoral Commission but it is still a party. The clue is in the name.”Many delegates were frustrated that Saturday’s proceedings descended into factionalism when they would have preferred to discuss key issues such as the cost of living crisis and immigration, as well as strategising for next year’s local elections.Your Party is yet to decide if it will field its own candidates or back socialist independents and some members feel the party will have failed if it is not on the ballot paper as an alternative to Labour.It remains to be seen if proceedings can be salvaged on Sunday, when the results of key votes – such as the party’s permanent name and leadership structure – will be announced. Sultana plans to attend and give a speech, which has comforted those who still hope for unity.Yet most delegates remained despondent as they shuffled out of the conference hall into a rainy Liverpool night on Saturday. Perhaps the mood of the day was summed up by one, who said: “My large glass of wine is turning into a bottle.”