Sultana boycotts Corbyn conference and claims ‘witch hunt’ | Politics | News
Zarah Sultana refused to attend Jeremy Corbyn’s new party conference and posed for photos outside, accusing organizers of waging a “witch hunt” against socialists. As Mr Corbyn took to the main stage this morning to claim the party was “united”, the co-founders’ extraordinary boycott revealed a civil war that was tearing the fledgling movement apart on its opening day.
Ms Sultana met members outside the Liverpool conference center after it was revealed that Socialist Workers Party leaders had been expelled from the meeting. A spokesman for Ms Sultana said: “Zarah met members outside the conference and condemned the latest expulsions. This witch hunt is indefensible. We must build a party that embraces all socialists. She will not enter the conference hall today.”
Zarah Sultana said she was “disappointed” that people were expelled from your Party on the eve of the party’s founding conference.
The former Labor MP said: “I was disappointed to see on the morning of our founding conference that people who had traveled from all over the country, who had spent a lot of money on train tickets, on hotels, to attend this conference, were told they were being expelled.
“This is a culture reminiscent of the Labor Party, where there were witch hunts on the eve of the conference, how members were treated with contempt.
“We are here to build a democratic party that unites all the left, all socialists, so that they can find their political home in Your Party.
“So what we saw this morning is disappointing and it needs to be reversed.”
The dramatic snub came just hours after Mr Corbyn refused to call Ms Sultana a “friend” in a national television interview.
In his opening remarks on the conference’s main stage, he told attendees the group was meeting “because division and division would not serve the interests of the people we seek to represent.”
But his call for unity was quickly undermined by his co-founder’s boycott and the chaos that broke out the night before.
Four attackers were thrown out of the pre-conference rally, where outside activists branded Mr Corbyn a “right-winger” and accused him of betraying Ms Sultana.
The Express attended what was billed as a ‘Night of Culture and Politics’ in central Liverpool and it quickly turned into a shouting match as black-clad security guards escorted out troublemakers.
Some in the crowd could be heard shouting, “Let them stay,” while others were heard muttering, “There’s always crazy.”
In his opening speech, Mr Corbyn warned of rising inequality and bemoaned the “insatiable appetite of mining, fossil fuel companies and many others to destroy the natural world”.
He accused the government of being “complicit” in the “genocide” in Gaza. Mr Corbyn, along with members of the Alliance of Independent MPs, has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament and called for a halt to arms sales to Israel.
The conference began on Saturday with attendees selected through a random lottery system called “ranking” to decide who can attend.
Members will vote on the party’s name, founding documents and platform. Potential names include Your Party, Our Party, For the Many and Popular Alliance.
