Today, Jeremy Corbyn announced his new slate ‘The Many’ ahead of elections for Your Party’s (YP) Central Executive Committee (CEC). Corbyn gave an outline of what members can expect from his new slate:
Exclusive: Jeremy Corbyn has announced his slate of candidates to decide the future direction and leadership of Your Party. @harriepw reports. https://t.co/KoHVgYnTBg
— Novara Media (@novaramedia) January 16, 2026
However, sources close to Zarah Sultana told the Canary:
It’s disappointing to see that Jeremy has failed to endorse Zarah as a candidate in the CEC elections, but she remains committed to building bridges and attempting to move forward in a unified fashion.
And, most alarmingly, those same sources made the allegation that Corbyn’s slate of candidates were allegedly asked to reverse the mandate of the members from the fledgling party’s inaugural conference:
It’s also concerning that candidates have reportedly had to commit to overturning dual membership – something that was voted for at conference.
Zarah is very clear that conference must be sovereign. Your Party must truly belong to its members.
Your Party at odds
When announcing his own slate, Corbyn said:
I want Your Party to unite our communities on the issues that affect people’s lives: rising bills, soaring rents, and grotesque inequality.
That is what it means to provide a real left alternative – one that stands up for the policies being demanded by millions of people across the country: public ownership, wealth taxes, rent controls, disability justice, environmental sustainability and an end to war.
By fostering a culture of inclusivity, diversity and collaboration, we can build a truly mass, democratic party that mobilises people everywhere. And we can finally build a society for the many, not the few.
Interestingly, Corbyn has been quoted by Novara as claiming that his slate is ‘our chance to get Your Party back on track’. That in itself would suggest that Corbyn feels the fledgling party has already lost its way.
And, sources close to Sultana were not impressed with Corbyn’s announcement of his own slate:
It’s not clear what The Many slate is actually advocating in terms of party structure and programme. The lack of concrete proposals is worrying – it seems likely that in practice it will stand for Labour-style political timidity and centralised control. Especially given some of the names on the list of candidates. It seems to be largely made up of councillors and current/former MPs, rather than reflective of the general membership.
And sources told us that Corbyn’s slate is missing something vital:
The Grassroots Left slate is founded on a list of concrete demands, which Zarah believes are essential to build a party capable of taking on entrenched power and transforming our society along socialist and anti-imperialist lines…Zarah is very clear that conference must be sovereign. Your Party must truly belong to its members.
Eyes open
When approached for comment, Zarah Sultana herself told the Canary:
I have been proud to work alongside Jeremy Corbyn in Parliament in standing up against inequality, injustice and war, and I’m proud to have endorsed him as a candidate in the upcoming CEC elections as part of the Grassroots Left slate.
That said, we must be clear-eyed about what is at stake in these elections. Either we build a democratic, member-led party with the confidence to defend socialist and internationalist politics, or we accept a model where decisions are concentrated at the top and members are expected to fall into line.
Sultana went on to outline the founding principles of the Grassroots Left slate. She states they are focused on empowering members to lead the party, which may point to the underlying source of tension between the two co-leaders:
The Grassroots Left slate is founded on a simple belief: this party should be run by its members, not managed from above by an opaque and unaccountable leadership class.
That means giving power to the branches and formally recognising them on day one and giving the full access to data which they’ve demanded for so long.
We don’t want another Labour 2.0 and that means no more witch hunts, we need to unite the left not divide it.
None of us should pretend that real change comes from Westminster alone. It never has. Lasting change is built collectively, through organised members shaping their own party and holding it to account. It’s socialism or barbarism and we must create a vehicle to deliver socialism.
Sultana’s response to the new slate further signifies that there are very clear ideological differences between the two co-leaders. Corbyn and The Many appear to be divorcing from the collective leadership model decided by members. It is hard to avoid the optics that he is seeking to take power away rather than work collaboratively with Sultana to empower communities, given the apparent move to row back on these radical decisions from conference.
Same old shit or radical change?
Both leaders have been clear that they face the same enemies. Wealth inequality, rising costs, oppression, injustice, and war all sit at the centre of their political focus. This shared clarity makes it easier to then see where they diverge.
Statements from both co-leaders suggest the key dividing line is whether the new party should be led by its members through devolved power, or follow tradition with a single, centralised leadership.
However, most concerning of all, only one slate appears intent to defy the democratic vote of Your Party members – and at this stage it’s firmly not Zarah Sultana’s.
Your Party has been contacted for comment.
Featured image via the Canary
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