Local grassroots campaigners have recently announced the launch of the Edinburgh branch of Your Party. This follows the establishment of a Your Party branch in Glasgow.
Although the central party has yet to launch official branches in Scotland, unofficial grassroots groups have been set up across Scotland’s major cities, with a branch in Edinburgh following Glasgow as the latest to join the movement.
In July, former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana (former Labour MP for Coventry South) announced the launch of a new left-wing party, temporarily named “Your Party.”
In the following weeks, the party amassed 800,000 sign-ups, surpassing the membership of Labour, Reform and the Conservatives, and an ISPOS poll suggests a large student support base, with one-third of 16-34 year-olds considering voting for them.
The party runs on a socialist platform that seeks to challenge the Labour Party’s actions whilst in government. Your Party is critical of Labour’s approach to Israel and condemns Labour’s cuts to disability and child benefit payments.
A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Your Party group outlined plans to hold a launch event later this month, similar to the one held in Glasgow earlier in September. Community organisers behind the effort plan to hold a wider inaugural conference for the Scottish wing of the party in October.
The party’s extension to Scotland comes as preparations for the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary elections begin.
Although Corbyn and Sultana’s movement is still in its infancy, its campaign in Scotland may serve as a litmus test for the party’s nationwide popularity.
Nevertheless, a recent highly-publicised feud between Sultana and Corbyn on 18 September will likely impact the Party’s reach.
“Jeremy Corbyn” by garryknight is licensed under CC BY 2.0.