Your Party’s first conference shows little sign of achieving fresh start

As Jeremy Corbyn delivered his opening address at the Your Party conference in Liverpool, Zarah Sultana was pointedly absent. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

When the idea of a new leftwing party spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana was first mooted in the summer, it was so popular that hundreds of thousands of people expressed an interest in joining.

Although it was quickly beset by arguments – its co-founders rowed bitterly over its initial leadership and funding model – many hoped this weekend’s inaugural conference would signal a fresh start.