BLACKBURN — More than one thousand people packed into a venue in Blackburn yesterday for the first official meeting of Your Party, a newly formed political movement spearheaded by independent MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. The high-profile launch in Lancashire marked the movement’s formal debut in the North West of England, drawing a diverse crowd of supporters eager to challenge the political establishment and offer an alternative to the major legacy parties.
Chaired by Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain, the event featured a strong emphasis on domestic socioeconomic struggles, the rising cost of living, and passionate solidarity with Palestine. However, the historic gathering also underscored lingering tensions surrounding leadership, political identity, and ongoing debates over Zionism and antisemitism that have shadowed Corbyn’s political career.
The meeting commenced with Adnan Hussain reflecting on his personal history and the experiences of his parents, who migrated to Britain. He told the audience how their struggles to build a life in the UK ultimately shaped his own political outlook and dedication to public service.
Framing Your Party as a grassroots movement explicitly designed to speak for ordinary people who feel left behind, ignored, or alienated by both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, Hussain received an enthusiastic reception from the room.
"Today, as I’ve said, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing Blackburn, Lancashire, the North West, to a new political movement," Hussain told the attentive audience. He continued by emphasizing the core constituency the party aims to represent: "It stands, as I’ve already said, not for the elite, not for the wealthy, but for you, the working class."
Hussain stressed that the newly minted party is intended to be built upon enduring political principles rather than centered around individual personalities. Yet, his speech also captured the emotional resonance of the veteran left-wing politician in the room, drawing loud, sustained applause when he asked the crowd to "imagine a United Kingdom with Jeremy Corbyn as the Prime Minister."
Quickly clarifying his point to emphasize collective vision over hero worship, Hussain added, "It’s not about the individual. It’s about his vision. It’s about what he stands for. It’s about what he is bringing to the table."
Birmingham MP Ayoub Khan, who has also aligned himself with Your Party, took to the stage to praise both the sheer size of the turnout and the rich diversity of the attendees. Speaking directly to the crowd, Khan noted that establishment politicians have little defense against broad-based coalitions.
"Nothing frightens politicians more than seeing a movement that is as large and as diverse as this one, Your Party," Khan declared. Attendees were encouraged to look around the room at fellow citizens, with organizers emphasizing the phrase, "Look around you, this is the UK," to showcase the movement’s ambition to represent a multi-ethnic, multi-faith modern Britain.
Organizers repeatedly pointed out that the majority of the crowd consisted of non-Muslim attendees, spanning all age groups, genders, and religious backgrounds, presenting this coalition as one of the primary strengths of the fledgling political project.
Addressing Controversies and Solidarity with Palestine
As the conference progressed, broader geopolitical issues, particularly the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, took center stage. Professor Marion Roberts, representing Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), addressed the audience to tackle issues surrounding antisemitism and Zionism, a topic widely interpreted as a direct response to longstanding controversies that plagued Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the Labour Party.
Roberts explained the heterogeneous nature of the coalition taking shape around the new party, noting that members and participating blocs maintain diverse electoral and political backgrounds.
"The group I belong to, JVL, was set up to support Jeremy once he became leader and to counter the false accusations of antisemitism which were intended to protect Israel from criticism," Roberts told the audience.
When Jeremy Corbyn finally took the stage, he was greeted by loud chants of "Free Palestine" from sections of the audience. As the speeches continued, some slogans escalated among a portion of the crowd to calls of "Death, death to the IDF," illustrating the intense, raw emotions surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and how central the Palestinian cause remains to the core base of the movement.
Corbyn pivoted smoothly from foreign policy to domestic hardships, addressing pressing issues faced by ordinary citizens in the UK, including the housing crisis, systemic poverty, homelessness, and the financial burden of university tuition fees. He explicitly linked these domestic systemic failures to Britain’s historical and ongoing role in foreign military interventions and global economic inequality.
Turning specifically to the Middle East, Corbyn declared, "We are always coming up against the Israeli expansionism led by the Zionist ideology, that they have a right to occupy Gaza and the West Bank."
Outlining the broader organizational ethos of the movement, Corbyn added, "We want this party to be open. We want it to be inclusive. We want it to be democratic and above all community and grassroots-based."
Your Party’s Stance on Anti-Zionism
The Blackburn conference unfolded against a backdrop of intensifying public and media scrutiny regarding Corbyn’s precise definitions of and stance on Zionism. Earlier in the week, video footage circulated widely showing the former Labour leader repeatedly refusing to answer direct questions regarding whether he considers himself anti-Zionist. This public hesitation contrasted sharply with fellow founder Zarah Sultana, who has previously and openly declared herself to be anti-Zionist, creating a visible nuance between the prominent figures leading the new party.
Adding to the friction noted by political analysts and critics at the event, organizers did not open the floor to public questions or a general debate during the conference. Observers and critics noted that avoiding a public question-and-answer session sidestepped difficult, controversial, and potentially fractious debates regarding the party’s internal governance and ideological boundaries.
Following the formal close of the event, reporters approached Adnan Hussain to ask whether members and candidates joining Your Party would face internal scrutiny or disciplinary processes regarding their public positions on Zionism and related geopolitical matters.
Hussain firmly rejected the premise, responding, "Nobody should be penalised against a genocide, the killing of innocent children. They must be protected and anyone who is opposed to that must never be penalised."
The inaugural Blackburn conference ultimately showcased a high degree of grassroots enthusiasm, organizational energy, and large-scale public mobilization. At the same time, it laid bare the enduring challenges, ideological tensions, and political controversies over Zionism, leadership dynamics, and the ultimate viability of whether Your Party can successfully carve out a distinct and sustainable national identity separate from its Labour origins.