Your Party undecided over whether to field candidates in Senedd election
Martin Shipton
Members of Your Party – the new left-wing movement founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana – are having strong disagreements over whether they should stand candidates in next May’s Senedd election, it has emerged.
Last Saturday (October 25) supporters packed into the concert hall of the historic Merthyr Tydfil Labour Club to hear from Ms Sultana in person and Mr Cotbyn via video link. It was the party’s first significant event in Wales, with 250 members present in person and a further 100 online
The meeting was convened by former Cynon Valley Labour MP Beth Winter and Mark Serwotka, who retired in early 2024 as the General Secretary of the PCS union.
A spokesperson for Your Party said: “The common, energising thread from all contributions was the spirit of unity and determination to take the party forward in Wales as a matter of urgency.
“Attendees cheered on hearing of Your Party UK’s support for self-determination of the party in Wales to make decisions affecting us here.
“Core principles for the party were discussed, as was the prospect of standing candidates in the May 2026 Senedd election.
“Writ large was the commitment that this is a new kind of politics, member-led and rooted in communities.”
Change
Ms Winter declared: “We in Wales can lead by example; our history shows that we have been at the forefront of change and holding the first meeting in Merthyr Tydfil is symbolic of this.”
Keir Hardie was elected in 1900 as the MP for Merthyr Tydfil. In the same year he helped to form the union-based Labour Representation Committee, which was later renamed the Labour Party.
Mr Serwotka called for a redistribution of wealth, and stressed the urgency of organising in Wales with the Senedd election due in just a little over six months’ time. He said: “We need to be active in our communities ,standing with those groups fighting for nurseries, libraries, high wages – outward looking, not internal power struggles.”.
The meeting endorsed proposals for interim arrangements to take matters forward in Wales on a socialist agenda for change, with a focus on community action and support. It was agreed there was more work to be done, and Ms Winter made a closing call to action, saying: “Let’s get to it!”.
Hope
Ms Sultana said: “There’s so much reason for hope in Wales. I feel it in this room today – here in Merthyr, the birthplace of the Red Flag, let us raise it again. Let this be the beginning of a new movement for Welsh socialism. Let this be the spark that lights a fire across our valleys and towns, because we know that working class people can run society better than the billionaires, the profiteers and the war criminals who rule over us today.”
She added: “The crises we face are immense but so is our potential. If we organise, if we build, if we fight, we can defeat fascism and create a society based on peace, justice and equality.
“We stand with all those who are marginalised, because our power lies in our unity. We are the majority and when we move as one, we are unstoppable.”
The Your Party spokesperson said: “Those attending were very positive, with comments like ‘Positively spectacular’; ‘The buzz in the room was so positive’; ‘Easy to follow and take part on Zoom too’; ‘Great to see lots of familiar faces and to feel the passionate commitment to establish a real alternative to the establishment parties and see off the threat from Reform’.”
Yes
Should Your Party stand candidates in the May 2026 Senedd election?
No
Should Your Party stand candidates in the May 2026 Senedd election?
Asked what the feeling was about standing candidates in the May 2026 Senedd election, the spokesperson said: “We didn’t reach a decision on whether or not to field candidates at the Senedd election and there were differing views heard. As we’re trying to be as democratic as possible, proto-branches are still forming and there are the two regional assemblies in Wales on Nov 8 in Llandudno and Cardiff. We will probably be deciding near to the deadline. There is also the Your Party UK founding conference at the end of November to factor in.
“Of the speakers from the floor and online at Saturday’s meeting, there were more in favour of being strategic and standing in a few seats where we might stand a chance and won’t do more harm than good. We’re still taking soundings and weighing things up.”
There has been concern expressed by some that if Your Party stands candidates, the anti-Reform vote on the left could be split to Reform’s advantage,
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Please don’t. We don’t need anyone splitting the anti deform votes.
Not sure what planet she is on with respect our security.
https://htsf.substack.com/p/coventry-south-needs-a-by-election
Sultana spends more time criticising the Green Party then she does Farage. I’ve met some of their members, anyone who doesn’t agree with them is labelled ‘far right’, including Plaid Cymru. They are Reform UK enablers.
Paul Mason’s opinion is worthless.
Then listen to what she says. Her own words.
Despicable.
The party that hasn’t chosen it’s name yet wants to run for the Senedd! They have 95% in common with the Greens why not just join them?
Reform is consolidating the right-wing vote and these lot want to splinter the left wing vote even further. Great job guys.
No, don’t split the left vote
1) if they’d stood in Caerphilly it might have seen a different result and Reform winning. 2) why is Zarah Sultana – a MP from Coventry south – pronouncing on matters in Wales? 3) it seems there was Zero mention of independence for Wales in their discussions, which is unsurprising given most of their membership in Wales is made up of former members of the labour party and trotskyist groups…..neither of whom has ever shown much interest in or support for Welsh indy.
Because the loony left couldn’t care less if they destroy our indigenous language, culture and history. They’ve failed to win an election to Westminster for over half a century so see Cymru as a little impoverished enclave they can take over to create their spiv society.
Please don’t. You’ll split the vote but some of your party’s views are utterly repellant. You and Reform are two sides of the same extremist coin. A plague on both your houses.
They have next to no interest in matters relating to our country. They are just another wing of the AngloBrit supremacy and we have enough of that nonsense already.
Zarah Sultana wants to leave NATO, in the current situation that seems naive to say the least, so apart from splitting the vote, Your Party needs a bit more scrutiny on their policies.
Please don’t. We’ve had enough UK interference in Welsh affairs. Show reform that you’re better than them by respecting Wales and keeping away.