Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s Your Party gained its first Scottish councillors after three Green councillors and one of the party’s top candidates in Glasgow defected.
Ellie Gomersall, who was Glasgow’s second top candidate on the Greens regional list, is joined by councillors Dan Hutchison, Seonad Hoy, and Leodhas Massie.
Ms Gomersall – who failed in her attempt to unseat former Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie in August – has been outspoken about her issues with the leadership of the party.
“Where every single one of the existing Holyrood parties is complicit in passing on brutal cuts to public services, it’s clear to me that only Your Party can be taken seriously to stand firm against austerity and work to materially improve the lives of the working class,” she said in a statement.
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Green Party leader reveals defection
She urged other Greens to follow suit, saying: “If you want to see socialists elected to our parliaments, city chambers and town halls across Scotland and the UK, join me in Your Party.”
Mr Hutchison – who represents the Govan ward on Glasgow City Council – said: “I’m proud to be joining a truly socialist party who will not accept the status quo, will actually involve ordinary people in the politics that impacts their lives, and won’t be accepting brutal cuts in exchange for scraps off the table.”
The news comes as party co-founder Ms Sultana prepares to hold a rally in Glasgow on Friday.
A Scottish Greens spokesperson said: “We’re disappointed to hear that they have decided to leave our party and Glasgow’s largest group of socialist councillors. We thank them for the work they have done as Green councillors”.
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What’s next for Your Party?
The defections will be seen as a high point for Your Party, after the early months of its creation were marred by an apparent split between Ms Sultana and former Labour leader and co-founder Mr Corbyn over how members will be able to sign up.
Ms Sultana threatened legal action, but later backed away, saying it was “for the sake of the party”.
Corbyn didn’t directly address the row, but previously said the new party had faced some “fraught days” and hadn’t “covered ourselves in glory”.
The pair are said to have since made up – in a reconciliation jokingly compared to that of the Gallagher brothers of Oasis.
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The new party is in the process of hashing out policies and processes for fielding candidates so it can be ready to fight the local elections in May 2026.
Local branches are being set up across the country by volunteers, with next steps expected to be formally agreed at their founding conference in November.
It also faces a decision on its formal name, with Your Party being used in the meantime until a decision is made at the conference.
