Exclusive: Liverpool’s Sam Gorst resigns from Your Party

Your Party executive (CEC) member Sam Gorst is well known for his 2023 thrashing of Labour in the Garston local elections, and for being elected to the CEC as an independent.

But now he is an ex-CEC and Your Party (YP) member after resigning from both.

The resignation comes in the wake of outrage from the CEC, after the suspension of three Your Party executive members for attending a socialist event — leading to a unanimous no-confidence vote in the officials held responsible. YP parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn then controversially rejected the vote.

In a message to other CEC members shown to Skwawkbox by YP executive members, Gorst said that even the party’s handling of his resignation had let him down:

Resignation of Your Party and Central Executive Committee

The attached resignation letter explains Gorst’s disillusionment with the “lost opportunity” of YP and the manoeuvres of different factions within it:

Dear CEC colleagues,

It is with considerable sadness that I write to resign my membership of Your Party and step down from my position on the Central Executive Committee.

I joined Your Party with genuine optimism. Having been elected as a Liverpool Community Independent councillor for Garston and previously representing the now-defunct Cressington ward as a socialist Labour councillor, I believed this new political project had the potential to provide a credible, democratic and principled alternative for working-class people.

Sadly, I can no longer, in good faith, remain a member of Your Party or continue to serve on its Central Executive Committee.

This has not been an impulsive decision. It has been developing over many months. I drafted this resignation several days before any motion of no confidence in specific officers appeared on the agenda, while I was contemplating my future within Your Party and carefully considering whether I could continue as a member and serve on the Central Executive Committee. The events that followed formed part of that wider period of reflection but this decision has been reached only after giving the matter serious, careful and honest consideration.

When the party launched, there was genuine excitement and significant public interest. We were presented with a rare opportunity to build something meaningful and enduring. Regrettably, most of that momentum has now been lost.

Factionalism exists within most democratic political parties, particularly on the left, and some ideological debate can be healthy. However, what I have witnessed has gone far beyond legitimate political disagreement.

As the only genuinely independent left voice on the CEC, not aligned with or supported by any faction, I have experienced and observed repeated breaches of confidentiality, disrespect, unnecessary hostility, a siloed, obstructive culture and a persistent lack of openness and transparency. Those are not the foundations upon which a democratic socialist party should be built.

My political journey has taught me the personal cost of remaining within dysfunctional organisations. I joined the Labour Party on 28 July 2015, inspired by Jeremy Corbyn’s vision of a fairer and more compassionate society. Having recently become a father, I wanted to play a part in creating a better future for the next generation.

During my time in Labour, I was suspended on several occasions because of my political beliefs, my support for Palestine and my opposition to council cuts. Although I successfully challenged those suspensions, I was ultimately expelled under Keir Starmer’s leadership for having previously liked a Socialist Appeal Facebook post that was retrospectively proscribed. There was no right of appeal from a party led by a former human rights lawyer.

That experience had a profound impact on my mental health and wellbeing, and I have no intention of allowing history to repeat itself. I must protect both my wellbeing and the reputation I have spent many years building as a socialist, community councillor and campaigner.

I genuinely wanted Your Party to succeed and I still hope that those involved reflect honestly on how we arrived at this point.

I was equally disappointed by the conduct of elements of the slate that lost the internal elections. Rather than accepting the democratic outcome and working constructively, there appeared to be repeated attempts to delay, obstruct and filibuster proceedings. Internal loyalties and personal positioning too often took precedence over building the party and meeting members’ expectations.

Responsibility, however, does not rest solely with them. The governing slate also failed to improve communication, transparency and meaningful engagement across the whole CEC. Increasingly, I was left with the impression that preserving internal influence and managing dissent had become more important than listening to members or building the movement this country urgently needs.

On 12 July 2026, I supported the requisition of a Special Meeting of the Central Executive Committee for three reasons. Firstly, the continued lack of progress within the Party; secondly, information I had received from the Data Protection Officer which caused me significant concern; and thirdly, the increasing pattern of unilateral decision-making by a small number of individuals without consultation with the Central Executive Committee as a whole. Indeed, some members of the Officer Group themselves were unaware of decisions that had already been taken.

At that meeting, I voted in favour of the motions of no confidence in the Chair, the Secretary and the Membership Officer. Before those motions were considered, the Central Executive Committee voted to suspend the relevant Standing Order, allowing the motions to be heard outside of an Annual General Meeting.

The motions related solely to the Executive positions those individuals held and not to their membership of the Party. I supported these motions because I believe in upholding the Party’s constitution and democratic processes. In my view, changes to the Executive were necessary to strengthen governance, accountability, transparency, inclusivity, data protection, regulatory compliance and, most importantly, to provide the Party with the strongest possible foundations for long-term success.

The intention was never to remove individuals from Your Party’s CEC. Rather, it was to deliver root-and-branch reform of the Party’s culture, internal democracy and governance. I believed this could only be achieved by changing the composition of the Executive, as too many key decisions had been made without meaningful consultation with the wider CEC. Reform was needed to restore fairness and ensure every region and nation had an equal voice in the Party’s direction. Ultimately, the aim was to establish an Executive capable of working collaboratively, rebuilding trust within the CEC and restoring the confidence of the wider membership.

Unfortunately, I no longer believe those necessary reforms will be delivered after emails received tonight, to the contrary, I recognise without any doubt that each CEC member is not being treated with equity. Like Labour, a hierarchy of importance has been created. That is the kind of political organisation that I cannot be involved in. The pressure placed upon those of us advocating what I considered reasonable and proportionate changes, including by some within the Officers’ Group and by many members elected on the successful slate, demonstrated a reluctance to embrace meaningful reform. Offers to address concerns only after confidence had already been lost came too late.

Most concerning of all, despite the extraordinary commitment, goodwill and voluntary effort invested by members across the country, local elections are now approaching and, in my experience, nine out of ten residents in Liverpool still have no idea what Your Party is. That should concern every member of the organisation.

To put that into perspective, even Your Party’s own members appear to have little faith or confidence in the project. In Liverpool, my city with a well-known and very proud socialist tradition fewer than 50 members registered to attend the city-wide branch formation meeting. That alone was disappointing but what made it even worse was that only around half of those who registered actually attended.

This outcome should not have come as a surprise. Those in control chose to hold the branch launch online rather than face-to-face and scheduled it for a Sunday morning. It would have been difficult to design a format less likely to maximise attendance or engagement. The result speaks for itself.

This decision has not been made lightly. I would like both to thank and apologise to the members across the North West who placed their trust in me to represent them on the Central Executive Committee. I hope they understand that this decision follows many months of careful reflection.

My socialist values remain entirely unchanged. I continue to be an ardent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and believe the time has come for him to drive meaningful change, swiftly and proportionately. Without decisive action, there is a real risk that other influential and principled socialists, such as Laura Smith, may also choose to resign.

My commitment remains steadfast: to equality, the fair redistribution of wealth, peace, social justice, and standing up for working-class communities and the most vulnerable in our society. These principles continue to guide my politics and will remain at the heart of everything I do.

I now believe my time and energy are best devoted to serving my community as a councillor with Liverpool Community Independents. It was this local party that supported me, enabled me to secure an election with a significant majority and demonstrated what genuine community politics can achieve.

Finally, I wish every ordinary member of Your Party well. They joined in good faith because they believed a different kind of politics was possible. They deserved an organisation worthy of their commitment, energy and optimism. I sincerely hope that one day it becomes one.

In solidarity,

Councillor Sam Gorst
Your Party
North West CEC Representative

Featured image via the Canary