The Battle for the Soul Of 'Your Party' Is Already Underway
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Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing alternative to Labour doesn't formally exist yet, but there are already signs of a rift between those at the centre of the fledgling party and grass roots supporters demanding a greater say in how it's run.
More than 700,000 people have so far signed up to the mailing list of the new group - provisionally called 'Your Party. As well as Corbyn and Sultana, it boasts the backing of four independent MP's elected on pro-Gaza mandates last July.
The new party's launch was botched, however, when Sultana declared in July that she and Corbyn would be its co-leaders - an announcement seen as an attempt to 'bounce' the former Labour leader into a partnership before his involvement had been officially announced.
Now comes another problem for Your Party; demands by local organisers for greater participation in how its constitution and policies are formed.
Among them is Alan Story, a journalist and activist from Norwich.
Story has claimed via his Substack The Left Lane that details of prospective members who have registered with the party nationally are not being shared at local level.
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He told the Byline Podcast it felt like fighting a war where the artillery was being held in reserve, rather than being taken to the battlefield where it is needed.
He said: "We need the names. We need people. We want to get them mobilised. If someone sent a message two weeks ago saying, 'I want to join this party' but then they don't hear anything for months, where is this party going?"
"We've got things to do on the grassroots level, but if we don't have the tools to do it, then we're quite neutered."
So far, Story and his colleagues have independently generated more than 200 contacts for 'Your Party' in Norwich via social media and personal contacts, but believe hundreds more would be accessible via the national database.
"Word of mouth is fine," he said, "but we want to get the members involved, making videos, doing all the kinds of exciting things that can be done as an alternative to Labour and Reform.
"But we're hampered. We're not allowed to do that. I think it's completely the wrong way to build a party."
Story claims the blockage is due to a 'decree' by Karie Murphy, Executive Director of Corbyn's office when he was Leader of the Opposition between 2016 and 2020.
She now heads Collective, a Corbyn-inspired group which describes itself as "the engine that will drive the formation of a new, mass membership political party of the left in the UK."
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Murphy is clearly irked by what she regards a personal attack by Story, who sourced his information from attendees on a Zoom call among an inner group of prospective organisers.
She told Byline Times: "I explained the data collated from those interested in joining a new political party would not be randomly shared at this time with 'unknown individuals or groupings' in geographical areas or in Scotland and Wales.
"This was not a 'decree' but a sharing of information, and my intent was clear - encouraging those actually organising in their communities to build events and gatherings without relying on this data to build on the momentum.
"I further added work was continuing to plan and make the best use at [a] local level of the data gathered".
And she pointed out that, "Your Party is not, as yet, a political party."
These growing pains reflect a battle...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
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Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing alternative to Labour doesn't formally exist yet, but there are already signs of a rift between those at the centre of the fledgling party and grass roots supporters demanding a greater say in how it's run.
More than 700,000 people have so far signed up to the mailing list of the new group - provisionally called 'Your Party. As well as Corbyn and Sultana, it boasts the backing of four independent MP's elected on pro-Gaza mandates last July.
The new party's launch was botched, however, when Sultana declared in July that she and Corbyn would be its co-leaders - an announcement seen as an attempt to 'bounce' the former Labour leader into a partnership before his involvement had been officially announced.
Now comes another problem for Your Party; demands by local organisers for greater participation in how its constitution and policies are formed.
Among them is Alan Story, a journalist and activist from Norwich.
Story has claimed via his Substack The Left Lane that details of prospective members who have registered with the party nationally are not being shared at local level.
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Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
He told the Byline Podcast it felt like fighting a war where the artillery was being held in reserve, rather than being taken to the battlefield where it is needed.
He said: "We need the names. We need people. We want to get them mobilised. If someone sent a message two weeks ago saying, 'I want to join this party' but then they don't hear anything for months, where is this party going?"
"We've got things to do on the grassroots level, but if we don't have the tools to do it, then we're quite neutered."
So far, Story and his colleagues have independently generated more than 200 contacts for 'Your Party' in Norwich via social media and personal contacts, but believe hundreds more would be accessible via the national database.
"Word of mouth is fine," he said, "but we want to get the members involved, making videos, doing all the kinds of exciting things that can be done as an alternative to Labour and Reform.
"But we're hampered. We're not allowed to do that. I think it's completely the wrong way to build a party."
Story claims the blockage is due to a 'decree' by Karie Murphy, Executive Director of Corbyn's office when he was Leader of the Opposition between 2016 and 2020.
She now heads Collective, a Corbyn-inspired group which describes itself as "the engine that will drive the formation of a new, mass membership political party of the left in the UK."
Don't miss a story
SIGN UP TO EMAIL UPDATES
Murphy is clearly irked by what she regards a personal attack by Story, who sourced his information from attendees on a Zoom call among an inner group of prospective organisers.
She told Byline Times: "I explained the data collated from those interested in joining a new political party would not be randomly shared at this time with 'unknown individuals or groupings' in geographical areas or in Scotland and Wales.
"This was not a 'decree' but a sharing of information, and my intent was clear - encouraging those actually organising in their communities to build events and gatherings without relying on this data to build on the momentum.
"I further added work was continuing to plan and make the best use at [a] local level of the data gathered".
And she pointed out that, "Your Party is not, as yet, a political party."
These growing pains reflect a battle...
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