Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘Your Party’ will hold its inaugural conference at the end of November, the new political party has confirmed.
Despite a rift between Mr Corbyn and co-founder Zarah Sultana, the still unnamed party has today launched its membership scheme which will allow supporters to participate in a conference on 29 and 30 November.
Memberships cost £5 per month, the party said, and a total of 13,000 members will be selected at random to attend the two-day conference in Liverpool.
However, when contacted by Sky News, the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool said it was unaware of any event bookings for the dates of the conference. A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn said he is “assured it has been booked”.
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The former Labour leader acknowledged an internal row with his co-founder in a video published alongside the launch, but said: “We all agree about the plans for the conference and the road map to get to it.”
He added: “Before all the commotion last week the plans themselves were warmly welcomed right across our movement.
“People desperately want the chance for a real alternative to poverty, war and injustice. So let’s get on with it.”
Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Pic: PA
Last week, Ms Sultana – who represents Coventry South as an independent MP – admitted she had launched the ‘Your Party’ membership portal without her co-leader’s sign-off.
She claimed she did so because she had been “sidelined” by a “sexist boys club”.
Her actions led to Mr Corbyn issuing his own statement, in which he urged members of the party to ignore an “unauthorised” email urging them to become paid members and that legal advice was being taken.
But in a statement issued on Sunday evening, Ms Sultana acknowledged her supporters had been left feeling “demoralised” by the saga.
“For the sake of the party, and as an act of good faith, I will not be pursuing legal proceedings despite the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations against me,” she said.
“I know many people are feeling demoralised – I share that feeling. We find ourselves in a regrettable situation, but my motivation has always been to ensure the collective strength of our movement, put members first and build the genuinely democratic conference and socialist party we so urgently need.”
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She added: “I am determined to reconcile and move forward. I am engaged in ongoing discussions with Jeremy, for whom, like all socialists of my generation, I have nothing but respect.”
Your Party got off to a shaky start when it was announced by Ms Sultana in early July, in a move that appeared to blindside Mr Corbyn.
The pair confirmed the launch a few weeks later, sharing a link to a website called Yourparty.co.uk.
It was later clarified that that was an interim name and that party members would decide a formal name at its inaugural conference in the autumn.
