Jeremy Corbyn has launched a new political party, provisionally called “Your Party,” in a move that could reshape the left-of-centre landscape in Scotland ahead of the Scottish Parliament election scheduled for 2026. Organisers say the project has the backing of Zarah Sultana and has already attracted visible enthusiasm at street-level events.
Corbyn, the former Labour leader, made public appearances in Glasgow where he joined striking workers on a picket line and spoke to supporters. The initiative enters an already crowded field on the Scottish left, which includes the Scottish National Party (SNP), Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens.
Party organisers have not yet settled on a permanent name and have released only limited details about their policy platform, candidate selection or long-term organisational plans. A number of Britain-wide polls taken since the launch have shown some level of support for Corbyn’s project, but there is no publicly available, Scotland-specific polling that would indicate how Scottish voters might respond.
Political strategists say the Scottish Parliament’s mixed-member proportional system, which combines constituency seats and regional lists, can create openings for new or smaller parties to win representation without taking constituency seats outright. That electoral structure means a party with concentrated regional support or a strong regional list campaign could gain seats in Holyrood even if it does not win constituencies.
How the entry of Corbyn’s new organisation will affect the fortunes of established parties is unclear. On paper, competition for left-leaning voters could increase pressure on Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens, and could alter vote distributions that benefit the SNP in some areas. Analysts caution, however, that the absence of robust, locale-specific polling prevents confident predictions about vote-splitting, tactical voting, or where any new party might concentrate resources.
Corbyn led the UK Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 and remains a prominent figure on the British left. His supporters point to long-standing advocacy on issues such as workers’ rights, public services and foreign policy as central to the new project’s appeal. Organisers and backers have said the party intends to build grassroots support ahead of the Holyrood contest, but details on candidate recruitment, funding and formal policy commitments remain scarce.
Scottish political parties will have to assess rapidly whether to adapt campaign strategies in response. For the SNP, which dominates much of Scotland’s political debate on constitutional matters, the immediate risk is likely limited unless Corbyn’s party articulates a clear position on independence that shifts voter alignments. For Scottish Labour and the Greens, any durable shift of personnel or voter allegiance could affect the balance of power in closely fought regions.
Observers say the next steps for Corbyn’s project are likely to include settling a permanent name, publishing a manifesto or policy platform, selecting local and regional candidates, and demonstrating grassroots organisational capacity. That process, and the release of Scotland-specific polling, will be key indicators of whether the party can translate early enthusiasm into electoral gains at Holyrood.
The party’s launch adds a new variable to a contest already shaped by debates over public services, the cost of living, climate policy and constitutional questions. With the Scottish Parliament election less than a year away, Scottish voters and rival parties will be watching whether Corbyn’s initiative can convert its profile into a measurable political footprint in Scotland.