A group of independent Preston politicians has severed ties with the new socialist party co-founded by Jeremy Corbyn – with one of them branding it “a dreadful waste of a fantastic opportunity”.
The trio – who operate under the ‘Preston Independents’ banner and sit as part of the main opposition group on Lancashire County Council – signed up to join Your Party shortly after it was formed by the ex-Labour leader and fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana last summer.
They briefly considered fully subsuming themselves into the new party once it was formally established, but the broader Preston Independents collective – which has around 55 active members in the city – later settled on retaining their local identity and autonomy, while allowing individuals within the grouping to choose whether to also hold Your Party membership. That decision followed a fractious launch for the new party – and repeated fallings-out between Corbyn and Sultana.
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Now, however, the three independents elected to County Hall to represent various parts of Preston have walked away from the fledgling left-wing movement altogether.
County Cllr Michael Lavalette (Preston Central East) said he followed his colleagues – County Cllrs Yousuf Motala (Preston City) and Almas Razakazi (Preston South East) – out of the door when it became obvious that a divide between the Corbyn and Sultana wings of the party had been baked into its operation after Mr. Corbyn’s supporters won a majority on the Your Party leadership committee.
He said a vote earlier this month that undermined a previous resolution to permit “dual membership” of Your Party and some other political organisations was the final straw.
“At that point, I thought this is just a waste of time – [there is so much] faction fighting.
“[After the leadership committee election], there could have been some focus put on how we were going to work together and move forward,
“[But] I think Your Party is finished, really – and it’s a dreadful waste of a fantastic opportunity. I really like Jeremy [and] Zara, but, politically, they have tarnished their image. To squander that [chance] is terrible.
“I don’t know if it’s because they live in the Westminster bubble, but if anyone is mildly critical, they just don’t take it well – and that’s not how the real world works. We all make mistakes [and] we all disagree with each other, “ County Cllr Lavalette told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
It had appeared that Lancashire could prove fertile ground for Your Party when it first emerged last year. Jeremy Corbyn came to Preston and Blackburn for two packed-out rallies in August, which County Cllr Lavalette was at the forefront of helping to organise as part of an effort to build a strong Lancashire base for the movement.
As the LDRS revealed at the time, conversations were also held with various independent councillors across Lancashire about the possibility of them joining Your Party.
However, of the seven independents that form the Progressive Lancashire main opposition group on Lancashire County Council – which is an alliance with the Green Party – only the subset of indies from Preston ever signed up. The wider opposition group’s leader, Azhar Ali – himself a former Labour member – said in September he would “wait and see” what “the direction of travel” was for Your Party before making any decision.
Around 800,000 people registered for the party’s mailing list after its arrival on the political scene was heralded – but its actual membership as of December 2025 stood at 55,000.
The LDRS approached Your Party for comment on the departure of the Preston Independents and the issues raised, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
On its website, Your Party describes itself as a “national movement for change”, adding: “It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements. One that builds power in all regions and nations. One that belongs to you.”
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