BREAKING: “far from this vision” – Adnan Hussain steps down from Your Party steering group

Independent MP Adnan Hussain has announced his resignation from the Your Party ‘steering group’, saying that he had found its reality to be ‘far from [his] vision’ of a “pluralistic, inclusive political space capable of representing the people who have long been left behind by the mainstream parties”, including his “socially conservative” constituents – and suggesting that egos and competition are behind Your Party’s chaotic first months.

Adnan Hussain is off from the steering group

Adnan Hussain and the other steering group MPs have been, at least publicly, at the centre of (all too public) rows with Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana and her allies over control of YP’s cash and data. At the same time, Sultana also lashed out publicly at what she termed a “sexist boys club”.

Hussain’s full, and undoubtedly bitter, statement reads:

Over the last few months I have been in the process of reflecting on my involvement in the steering process of Your Party and on the direction in which the project has developed. When I agreed to take part, I did so because I believed in the vision of a genuinely broad church: a pluralistic, inclusive political space capable of representing the people who have long been left behind by the mainstream parties. I believed in a movement that welcomed diversity of background and thought: including working-class communities, like my own constituency, people of faith, and those who may be socially conservative yet economically left- leaning, while holding firm to a commitment to equality, justice, and anti-racism.

I believed, wholeheartedly, in build ing a political home with mass appeal; a force capable of challenging the rise of far-right rhetoric, and the increasingly hostile, racist, and marginalising environment we see across the UK. That was the project I thought I was signing up to.

Regrettably, the reality I encountered has been far from this vision. The culture surrounding the party has become dominated by persistent infighting, factional competition, and a struggle for power, position and influence rather than a shared commitment to the common good. Instead of openness, cooperation and outward focus, the environment has too often felt toxic, exclusionary and deeply disheartening.

I have also been deeply troubled by the way certain figures within the steering process, particularly Muslim men, have been spoken about and treated. At times, the rhetoric used has been disturbingly similar to the very political forces the left claims to oppose. I witnessed insinuations about capability, dismissive attitudes and language that carried, at the very least… led prejudice. This was especially painful given that these individuals, amongst them myself, achieved something remarkable: winning seats, against all odds, In long-established Labour strongholds through sheer grassroots hard work, community credibility and determination, without party machinery or institutional support.

To see these achievements diminished, and to be tarnished with generalised accusations and offensive slurs, was deeply disappointing. It reflected a broader pattern of clique-like behaviour and gatekeeping across sections of this movement, an approach that is neither Inclusive nor capable of creating the kind of broad movement needed to win mass support or deliver meaningful political change.

Alongside this, I did not anticipate becoming drawn into very serious and damaging internal disputes on matters relating to organisational conduct and governance. I must be able to serve my constituents with absolute clarity and integrity. After long consideration, I have concluded that I can no longer remain part of this steering process, nor continue surrounded by an environment that undermines the very values it claims to champion.

For these reasons, I will be stepping away from the steering group of Your Party and will continue to serve in Parliament as an Independent. I remain a dedicated member of the Independent Alliance, a parliamentary group I have belonged to since the early days of my time in Parliament and one in which I continue to collaborate and work with effectively.

I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the volunteers who have poured extraordinary time and energy into this project, often with minimal resources and under significant pressure. Their commitment has been exceptional, and I hope the opening conference is successful. I genuinely wish the party, and all those dedicated to its success, well, and hope it is ultimately able to become what it initially promised: an inclusive, hopeful, pluralistic movement capable of bringing people together rather than driving them apart.

My priority remains what it has always been: to serve my constituents with honesty, independence, and unwavering commitment to the public good.

Your Party chaos

Worsening the ‘optics’ of the situation are claims that Corbyn did not ‘sign off’ on a statement purportedly issued by the ‘Independent Alliance’ MPs last night – though it’s by no means clear that Corbyn considers himself to have a veto:

Former Blackburn independent candidate [twice] and left author Craig Murray suggested – apparently playfully – that he might stand in Hussain’s absence:

But the humour was a very small ray of sunshine in Your Party’s ongoing calamity, with the country desperate for real change and coherent resistance to the fascism of Starmer and Farage.

Featured image via the Canary