The decision was a massive win for Zarah Sultana
Your Party members have voted to adopt a ‘collective leadership’ model rather than a single leader.
In an eye-wateringly narrow vote, 51.6 per cent of Your Party members backed the collective leadership model. This will see members elect a Central Executive Committee(CEC), with the party’s “Chair, Vice Chair, and Spokesperson in particular serving as the public political leadership”.
The decision is a major victory for Zarah Sultana and her allies who have been advocating fiercely for this model. By contrast, Jeremy Corbyn had made clear his support for a single leader.
Party members also backed a litany of other democratic structures backed by Sultana. This included allowing members of Your Party to also be members of other national political parties “where they have been approved by the CEC”.
The conference has taken place against the backdrop of members of Your Party who were also members of the Socialist Workers Party being expelled. It will be up to the new CEC to decide whether these people will have their Your Party membership reinstated.
80 per cent of Your Party members also voted to retain an explicit endorsement of ‘socialism’ in the party’s political statement. 95 per cent of members backed banning Your Party MPs from holding second jobs.
The results of the vote on the name of the party are yet to be revealed. Four options were on the table: Your Party, Our Party, For the Many and Popular Alliance.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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