Your Party SOAS: A New Movement

Anya Shah, BA Politics and International Relations

A new political movement is forming in the heart of SOAS. ‘Your Party SOAS’ is a new society and is aiming to build something different in UK student politics; a socialist movement that connects students and workers’ struggles while fighting against both government oppression and the growing threat of the far right. 

SOAS’ Your Party was inspired by the UK’s newest political party. Your Party is a left-wing political party co-founded by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn in July 2025. Although the party currently lacks a permanent name, we do know aspects of its core platform. This includes the re-distribution of wealth, and the return of power to the electorate from Westminster elites.

I interviewed Theo Liddel and Sean Emery, SOAS Your Party committee members. Theo explained that they ‘want to ensure that Your Party doesn’t become just another Westminster-focused group.’ They complain that parties such as Labour and the Greens ‘often end up stuck in political squabbling’ even after winning, leading to little progress on issues that matter. This society wants something new; a movement rooted in people’s everyday struggles, not party politics. 

With worsening living conditions, stagnant wages, and attacks on public services, Theo and Sean argue that Britain is in a state of long-term crisis. However, they feel that instead of a powerful left-wing resistance, Labour and the rest of the mainstream opposition have either failed to lead or have actively sided with the status quo. ‘In this vacuum,’ said Sean, ‘it’s the far-right that’s organising and gaining ground.’ He referenced recent far-right protests, including those involving figures like Tommy Robinson, that drew large crowds which outnumbered the left. This is where Your Party SOAS comes in. 

Although Your Party SOAS remain in the early stages of organising, five core party principles have emerged:

1. The party should be socialist and look to the working class to make change. 
2. The party should challenge oppression and the genocide in Palestine. 
3. The party should oppose NATO. 
4. The party should oppose attacks against migrants, the transgender community, and the Muslim community. 
5. The party must be open to working with other groups, unions, student societies, and leftist organisations, in order to stem the far-right’s growing influence. 

‘These aren’t fixed rules. They’re points for discussion. But we think this is the kind of foundation a serious left-wing force needs,’ vocalised Theo.

On a national scale however, Theo and Sean admit that the party is struggling to define itself. They cite a lack of clarity and direction from the party leaders, Corbyn and Sultana, on key issues such as nationalisation, Europe, and workers’ struggles. They fear that the resulting confusion combined with top-down decision making, risk creating ‘just another paper party.’

In contrast to the national party, Your Party SOAS wants to focus on bottom-up organising and active political debate. 

‘We don’t want a ‘kumbaya’ left where people ignore real political differences in the name of unity. That only buries the disagreements, and later they explode into factionalism or bureaucracy. We need open, democratic discussion about what kind of movement we’re building,’ expressed Sean. 

In the future, they aim to organise cultural events, such as music nights or community-building socials, alongside political discussions, with the goal of bringing in wider audiences and create a sense of shared purpose. 

True to their cause, Your Party SOAS is also working closely with workers on campus. Theo and Sean recently met with Justice for Workers, a campaign supporting cleaners and other outsourced staff at SOAS and UCL. 

They argue that defending the right to protest, improving education quality, and pushing back against cuts all require a united student-worker front. 

Theo and Sean clarified that this is not about building a clique or another small leftist group. They want to reach out to students at other universities, involve other organisations on the left, and start a conversation about how we can both challenge the current government and counter the far-right’s growing influence. 

‘This is a crucial time. If we don’t build an alternative now, we risk losing an entire generation to disillusionment - or worse, to the far-right. Let’s not waste that chance,’ articulated Theo.