Your Party Lambeth Chair & Vice Resign Over Trans Row – St Martin’s Plan 2026

Key Points

• The Lambeth branch of Your Party, a new political movement launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, has experienced internal conflict leading to the resignation of its chair, Stuart King, and vice-chair, Valerie Coultas.
• Resignations followed a proto-branch meeting on March 2, 2026, where a no-confidence motion against Coultas was narrowly defeated 21-20, and the branch voted 35-5 (with 5 abstentions) to affirm support for trans liberation in line with party policy.​
• Stuart King, with roots in Workers’ Power, resigned in solidarity, describing the process as a “witch hunt” by sectarian far-left groups.​
• Valerie Coultas, a veteran socialist from the International Marxist Group and Socialist Action, had publicly supported the April 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers defining “woman” as biological sex, and argued at a February 2026 All-London hustings that women’s and trans rights needed “reconciliation”.​
• Despite the resignations, the branch plans to field candidates in the St Martin’s ward for the upcoming council elections.​
• Your Party Lambeth was founded in September 2025 with around 150 members united by the party’s principles, emphasising local policy-shaping within a national framework.​
• The national party has faced prior turbulence, including resignations of advisers Andrew Feinstein, Beth Winter, and Jamie Driscoll in October 2025 over governance and membership issues.
• St Martin’s ward in Lambeth is currently held by Labour Co-op councillors, with past elections showing strong Labour support (e.g., 59.9% and 57.9% in 2022).​
• The incident highlights tensions over trans rights within the party, drawing defences from figures like Lindsey German of Counterfire, who called it an “appalling witch hunt” against a woman with over 50 years of socialist credentials.​

Lambeth (South London News) March 14, 2026 – A fledgling branch of the new political movement Your Party in Lambeth has hit early internal turbulence, with its chair and vice-chair resigning amid disputes over trans rights policy, yet the group vows to press ahead with plans to contest the St Martin’s council ward in forthcoming elections.

The resignations, announced shortly after a March 2 proto-branch meeting, underscore deepening divisions within the nascent organisation as it seeks to establish a foothold in South London’s politically charged landscape. Your Party, founded by former Labour figures Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, aims to build a democratic, left-wing alternative amid widespread disillusionment with mainstream politics. Despite the setback, branch members remain committed to challenging Labour’s dominance in Lambeth, particularly in St Martin’s ward.

What Triggered the Resignations in Your Party Lambeth Branch?

The crisis erupted at the Lambeth proto-branch meeting on March 2, 2026, where members debated the leadership roles of chair Stuart King and vice-chair Valerie Coultas. A no-confidence motion against Coultas was put forward but defeated by a razor-thin margin of 21 votes to 20.​

As detailed in coverage by the Red Mole Substack, Coultas had publicly endorsed the April 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, which clarified that “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. Furthermore, as reported by the same outlet citing Stuart King’s public resignation letter, Coultas argued during an All-London hustings meeting in February 2026 that

“the rights of women and trans people needed to be ‘reconciled’,”

positioning trans liberation as a competing interest rather than aligned with women’s rights.​

The branch then voted overwhelmingly, 35 to 5 with 5 abstentions, to affirm “unambiguous support for trans liberation in line with party policy”. Coultas resigned as vice-chair immediately after, unwilling to continue in a branch enforcing this stance. King, a long-term ally with historical ties to Workers’ Power, stepped down in solidarity, framing the events as a “witch hunt” orchestrated by “sectarian far-left groups”.

Who Are Stuart King and Valerie Coultas?

Stuart King served as chair of the Your Party Lambeth branch, bringing experience from his involvement in Workers’ Power, a Trotskyist group. In his resignation statement, shared publicly, King criticised the branch process as unfairly targeting Coultas over her views.​

Valerie Coultas, the vice-chair, boasts decades on the socialist left, with roots in the International Marxist Group (IMG) since at least 1971 and later Socialist Action, a Fourth International affiliate.

She contributed to journals like International and Feminist Review, writing on gay liberation and family politics under Thatcher in the 1980s. In February 2026, she stood for Your Party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections, backed by the Your Party Materialist Left (YPML), which advocates segregating trans people from single-sex spaces and dissolving the LGB/T alliance.​

As reported by Red Mole’s unnamed author, Coultas’s shift from defending gay liberation to gender-critical positions exemplifies a broader “conservative drift” on the left.​

What Is Their Political Background?

Coultas’s early work included the 1980s article “Feminists Must Face the Future” in Feminist Review. Her recent CEC candidacy highlighted tensions, as the YPML’s programme opposes trans inclusion in certain spaces.​

King’s resignation letter, as quoted in Red Mole, emphasised the narrow no-confidence defeat and accused far-left sects of driving the “witch hunt”.​

How Did the Branch Respond to the Dispute?

The Lambeth branch did not expel Coultas; the no-confidence vote failed, affirming pluralism by one vote. However, the strong trans liberation affirmation prompted her exit.​

A Facebook post from the Your Party – Jeremy Corbyn & Zarah Sultana 2026 group detailed King’s resignation as branch chair, citing decisions from the March 2 meeting. The proto-branch, formed following a September 2025 gathering of 150 locals, prioritises democratic culture.

Despite the upheaval, Brixton Buzz reports the group still intends to run candidates in St Martin’s ward.​

What Is the St Martin’s Ward Election Plan?

St Martin’s, a Lambeth ward, is Labour Co-op stronghold; in 2022, Olga FitzRoy won with 59.9% and Saleha Jaffer 57.9%, turnout 29.9%. Greens took 22%, Conservatives and Lib Dems trailed.​

Your Party Lambeth’s September 2025 statement emphasises local autonomy within national policy. The branch’s next meeting was set for October 9, 2025, indicating ongoing activity. Plans persist post-resignations, per Brixton Buzz.

Lambeth Greens hold three councillors after 2025 gains, challenging Labour.​

What Broader Tensions Plague Your Party?

Your Party’s national launch in July 2025 faced chaos; advisers Andrew Feinstein, Beth Winter, and Jamie Driscoll resigned from MOU Operations Ltd in October 2025. As reported by GB News journalist Peter Stevens, they criticised “hostile” MPs, governance lapses, and unagreed donation handling.

The trio stated:

“We have not been involved in any of the founding processes in any way… The role of holding donations was thrust upon us.”

They highlighted membership portal confusion and MPs’ refusal to assume control.​

The Telegraph echoed this, noting “gaffes and feuds” among founding MPs.​

Trans Rights Divide in the Party?

The Liverpool November 2025 founding conference enshrined trans liberation principles with high turnout. Yet CEC elections saw “The Many” slate (Corbyn-aligned) win 14/24 seats, Grassroots Left 7.​

Counterfire’s Lindsey German defended Coultas on Tariq Ali’s thread:

“This is so appalling — she has socialist credentials going back more than 50 years. This seems to me a literal witch hunt, ie an unjustified attack on a strong woman. And I don’t know for a fact but I would lay a bet that the majority voting for this were men.”​

Red Mole critiques this as credentialism over policy, linking to Counterfire’s gender-critical stance, e.g., German calling anti-Stock campaigns “pathetic”.​

Your Party’s Trans Liberation Group demands class-grounded trans rights, naming MP Adnan Hussain’s views “regressive”.​

What Do Critics Say About the “Witch Hunt” Claims?

Red Mole argues Coultas resigned voluntarily, not expelled, rejecting the “witch hunt” narrative amplified by German, Elaine Graham-Leigh, and campist voices. It ties gender-critical views to class reductionism, campism, and backlash.​

Counterfire pieces frame trans self-ID as “wild-eyed idealism”. The analysis warns of right-wing exploitation of left divisions.​

Implications for Lambeth Politics?

Lambeth Council elections loom; Labour dominates, but independents and Greens gain traction. Your Party eyes St Martin’s amid fly-tipping, potholes—issues resonant in South London.[user-information]

The branch’s resilience signals determination, but internal rows risk credibility.

As Your Party matures into 2026, Lambeth tests its unity.