Sultana boycotts Your Party conference over ‘witch hunt’

Zarah Sultana has refused to be “pushed out” of Your Party after she boycotted the first day of the conference, accusing people within the organisation of creating a “toxic culture” and citing a “witch hunt”.

The criticism comes just hours after Jeremy Corbyn vowed the co-leaders of the crisis-hit party were united. In an extraordinary row at the party’s inaugural gathering, Ms Sultana said she would not enter the main conference centre in Liverpool on Saturday after one of her supporters, Kingston councillor James Giles, was claimed to have been denied entry. Other members were expelled on Friday over alleged membership of the Socialist Workers Party.

A spokeswoman for Ms Sultana said: “Zarah met members outside the conference and condemned the recent expulsions. This witch hunt is indefensible. We must build a party that welcomes all socialists. She will not be entering the conference hall today.”

But Your Party has hit back, denying claims of a “purge” of members, saying those expelled had broken “clearly stated membership rules”.

A Your Party spokesman said: “These claims are false. Members of another national political party signed up to Your Party in contravention of clearly stated membership rules – and these rules were enforced.”

Ms Sultana expressed her disappointment at the expulsion of people from Your Party on the eve of its founding conference.

She said: “I’m disappointed to see on the morning of our founding conference, people who have travelled from all over the country, spent a lot of money on their train fare, on hotels, on being able to participate in this conference, being told that they have been expelled.

“That is a culture that is reminiscent of the Labour Party, how there were witch hunts on the eve of conference, how members were treated with contempt,” she continued. “We are here to build a democratic party that unites all of the left, all socialists, so they can find their political home in Your Party.”So what we have seen this morning has been disappointing and it should be reversed.”

“We’re focused on hosting a democratic founding conference with thousands of members coming together to debate and decide the big issues,” he said. “This is politics outside the Westminster mould: From the ground up, not the top down.

The latest spat came just hours after Mr Corbyn claimed that infighting was over in Your Party, as he told members he was proud of his co-leader and had sent a message of “support and solidarity” to a rally she held on Friday night.

In his speech to party members in Liverpool on Saturday, he said: “As a party, we’ve got to come together and be united because division and disunity will not serve the interests of the people that we want to represent. So that’s the basis on which we launch the party now.”

The fresh commitment to unity came shortly after Mr Corbyn declined to call Ms Sultana a friend when asked during an interview with Sky News. Instead, he said the pair were “colleagues in parliament, and we obviously communicate and so on”.

Despite expressing her issues with the “witch hunt” she alleged was ongoing in Your Party, Ms Sultana said she would support Mr Corbyn if he were elected leader of the party “despite her advocacy for collective leadership.”

“I am a democrat, I will support whatever the members decide,” she said. “I supported a co-leadership structure. Unfortunately, a nameless, faceless bureaucrat decided the members weren’t allowed to even vote on that option.

“Interestingly, I also supported the ‘Left Party’ as being one of the names for the party that I supported, and that hasn’t also been included as an option for members, which actually is an undemocratic move.”

It follows a chaotic first few months for the party, marred by division, which saw Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana fall out over a botched membership launch.

Ms Sultana complained she had been subjected to a “sexist boys’ club” after supporters were invited to officially sign up and give the party financial backing. But Mr Corbyn described the move as an “unauthorised email” and just hours later warned members in a statement posted on social media not to sign up via the link.

Two MPs who helped to set up the outfit have also since quit; last week, Iqbal Mohamed said in a statement that he had decided to leave Your Party and continue to serve his Dewsbury and Batley constituency as an independent MP.

And earlier this month, MP Adnan Hussain said he was withdrawing from the party’s “steering process”, citing concerns about factionalism and “veiled prejudice” against Muslims.

Later in his speech, Mr Corbyn used Your Party’s supposed newfound unity to criticise the Labour Party’s structure and “bureaucracy”.

The former Labour leader said: “I’ve had enough of top-down parties. I spent a lifetime in the Labour Party, mostly fighting Labour Party bureaucracy. I don’t want to repeat that in Your Party. I don’t want to repeat that experience.”

He took the opportunity to urge members to “campaign forever more” for “real socialism”.

Concluding his opening address to the party’s founding conference, he said: “We are here in Liverpool with a huge responsibility on our shoulders to get this thing underway this weekend, to get the branches going, to get the campaigns going and contest the elections in the future.

“This is our opportunity and our time.

“We are going to seize it with both hands, build that party, build that society, and campaign forevermore for real socialism and real social justice.”

During the conference, members will be able to vote on the party’s new name after months of indecision and confusion. They include Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, and For The Many, with the chosen name to be announced on Sunday.

‘Reeves’s Budget has made things worse – I won’t vote Labour again’

Peter Cripps voted for Labour at the last general election because he was desperate to get rid of the Conservatives. But he wouldn’t vote for the party again, not least after the chancellor’s make-or-break Budget on Wednesday.

As he sat outside his shop, Car, Home and Garden in Sheerness on Kent’s Isle of Sheppey, the 76-year-old told The Independent: “I’ve lived on the isle for 50 years, this is the worst I’ve ever known it, and this Budget is not going to turn that around.”

In her fiscal statement on Wednesday, Rachel Reeves unveiled £26bn worth of tax rises in an attempt to plug the gaps in the public finances. The chancellor’s tax hikes will be delivered by freezing thresholds, dragging millions more into paying higher taxes, and a host of other measures, including a new “mansion tax” on properties worth more than £2m and a fresh levy on landlords.

She also announced the government will lift the two-child benefit cap and raise the minimum wage in an attempt to ease the pressures of the cost of living crisis.

Labour will need the Budget to go down well with swing voters in places such as Sheerness if the party is to turn opinion polls around and stand a chance of holding onto power at the next general election.

The port town’s constituency, Sittingbourne and Sheppey, was a Labour gain at the last election, with Kevin McKenna beating Conservative candidate Aisha Cuthbert by a margin of 355 votes, with Reform UK a close third.

Mr Cripps wanted change because he felt his town’s high street had declined, and he hoped Labour would address that. But now, he feels let down by the government and does not trust it to grow the economy.

He explained: “They’ve (Labour) come in, and they’ve made it even worse. I certainly wouldn’t vote for them again.”

Asked why, he said: “I think this country is in such a mess. We need jobs, we need manufacturing. On this island we used to have a steelworks – gone, toilet factory – gone, we had the docks. It’s all gone. We have no manufacturing. Until we get jobs, it won’t change.”

Though Mr Cripps liked some measures of the Budget – he is glad Ms Reeves decided to scrap the two-child benefit cap – he is worried by a rise in the minimum wage. He said it is something a business like his cannot afford to pay.

Similarly unimpressed by the Budget was Stanley Ward, 68, who runs butcher’s shop, Kent Fresh Food, and is also a landlord with three residential properties.

“I’m worried about the landlord tax because they’re going to take money out,” he told The Independent. “You don’t want to keep putting rent up because it’s not fair on the tenant.

“I’ve got good tenants, and I don’t want to upset them by putting the rent up. But I think it could backfire, I think a lot of landlords will sell because it’s ridiculous what they keep doing to us.”

Like Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Ilford North is one of Labour’s slimmest marginal seats – the constituency has swung between Labour and the Conservatives since it was established in 1945.

Wes Streeting has been its MP since 2015, but the health secretary survived a scare to hold onto his seat at last year’s general election as he beat independent candidate Leanne Mohamad by just 528 votes.

But a vote Mr Streeting cannot count on is Stephen Laycock, 64, who owns the Hi-Tide chip shop on High Street in Barkingside, and describes the Budget as “terrible”.

He told The Independent: “I voted Conservative at the last election. I’ve never voted Labour and I never will. I don’t think they’re helping the people they should be helping.”

He used his own business as an example, saying: “I don’t class myself as high-end business-wise. We’re just a family business; we’ve been here 54 years, and we’re certainly not going to be here for 54 more.

“It’s not just the Budget, though I think that was disgusting, I feel like everything is tax, tax, tax.”

Like Mr Cripps, Mr Laycock is concerned about how he will cover a rise in the minimum wage, which Ms Reeves introduced so that “those on low incomes are properly rewarded for their hard work”.

He said: “I’m not getting the footfall, nobody’s got money. National Insurance went up last time. As a business owner, it’s all just gone up.

“We used to pay £74 for a box of cod, they’re £400 now. How do I make money on that? Without tax relief, there will be nothing at all. Potatoes should be £7 a bag but they’re fetching £24. You can’t absorb that.”

Around 20 miles away, in the London constituency of Kensington and Bayswater, Ms Reeves’s mansion tax was a cause of concern. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a quarter of properties hit by the tax are in just three London council boroughs; Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, and Camden.

Kensington and Bayswater is another parliamentary seat with a thin majority – the new constituency was won by Labour’s Joe Powell in 2024. Kensington resident Caroline was concerned about the tax, citing it as an example of Labour’s approach to the wealthy.

She told The Independent: “Thank God my property is not worth even half of £2m. They’ve already chased away most of the non-doms and well, everybody who’s rich, which I’m not so sure it’s clever to tax the rich even more. They’ll just disappear.

“It’s the old-fashioned Labour thing, just spending, spending, spending and taxing.”

According to fellow Kensington local Helen, the tax’s threshold is too low. She said: “£2m doesn’t buy you much here. I’ve been living here for 40 years, and the prices have gone up, but I, why should I move from my home? Because I can’t afford a wealth tax.

“ I think let’s get people back to work. Our young people are leaving in droves because there’s no future for the hardworking professionals.”

More cheerful about the Budget were Richard and Jean Whitehead in Ilford North. The two retirees are Labour voters and believe Sir Keir Starmer’s government needs to be given more time to turn around the nation’s fortunes.

Jean said: “I think this Budget will put some money into people’s pockets. The two-child benefit cap coming off is really important for some. and the increase in the minimum wage will be beneficial to a lot of people.

“But on the other side, say for hospitality, if they’ve got to pay that increased minimum wage, they might not employ that person because they can’t afford it.”

Richard is concerned by the impact of tax thresholds being frozen and resulting fiscal drag, but he is willing to wait and see how the policies outlined in the Budget play out,

He said: “They can’t turn the tide in a year and a bit. It’s going to take at least two terms for the tide to start turning. It’s going to be hard first of all and I don’t think anyone thought it wasn’t going to be.”

Sir Keir said on Thursday that the Budget “asked everybody to make a contribution” in order to protect public services and help people struggling with the cost of living.

Regarding the tax burden, the prime minister argued that his government had “done the least possible we can” to impact people and had “done it in a fair way”.

The Independent has approached the Treasury for comment.

Met Office issues fresh weather warning as heavy rain lashes UK

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for flooding as heavy rain lashes the UK.

The forecaster said the worst of the weather will be in south Wales from late on Sunday to Monday night, with 60-80mm of rainfall in some areas, and flooding likely.

It follows several yellow weather warnings over the weekend, with rain and ice expected to hit areas in East Midlands, North East England, North West England, West Midlands, and Yorkshire & Humber throughout Saturday.

The weather agency has warned that heavy bands of rain could lead to potential flooding and disruption over the weekend and into the beginning of next week, with rainfall of up to 50 to 60mm and strong winds possible.

Following heavy rain on Saturday, the Met Office said surface temperatures would likely fall below freezing on Sunday, creating wet and icy conditions on the roads.

An amber weather warning will come into force at midnight on Monday and remain in place for 24 hours. Around 60 to 80mm of heavy and persistent rain is expected to accumulate, reaching 100 to 120mm in some areas.

Further yellow rain warnings will also come into effect at midnight on Monday, with around 20 to 30mm of rain due to fall across London and South East England, South West England, West Midlands, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber. The warnings will be lifted at 3am on Tuesday morning.

The Met Office told The Independent: “A developing low-pressure system pushing across the south on Saturday will bring some rain, strong winds and even a bit of hill snow. Sunday looks drier and brighter for most before more unsettled weather arrives in time for the start of Advent.

“We are going to possibly see a bit of sleet and snow over the high ground, particularly around the South Pennines.”

Here is the weather forecast for the UK for the coming week, according to the Met Office:

Cloudy across England and Wales with a band of rain, heavy at times, moving northeastwards, accompanied by some strong winds for a time. Brighter and colder for Northern Ireland and Scotland, with a few showers, these wintry over the mountains.

Rain clearing into the North Sea, though brisk winds continue in the east. Elsewhere, drier with clear spells leading to a widespread frost and some icy stretches.

Drier, brighter and chillier on Sunday. Winds set to ease in the east with showers mainly in the north and west. Turning cloudier across Northern Ireland with rain arriving by the evening.

Further heavy rain and brisk winds to move in through Monday. Sunny spells and blustery showers are expected on Tuesday and into Wednesday, with these most frequent in the west. Temperatures near average.

F1 Qatar GP live: Norris eyes pole position after Piastri sprint win

F1 next heads to Qatar for the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season – and the final sprint weekend of the year – with the drivers’ championship title race fully reignited following the dramatic end to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lando Norris, currently leading the drivers’ standings, thought he’d extended the gap on teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a second-place finish in Vegas, only for both McLaren cars to be disqualified for excessive skid plank wear on both cars, with the minimum thickness falling below the 9mm threshold allowed.

That means Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Vegas, has closed the deficit on Norris to just 24 points and will be targeting a fifth world title over the final two races of the year. Piastri and Verstappen are level on points behind Norris, and with 33 points up for grabs in Lusail this weekend, the season could yet face another dramatic twist.

Norris is still the favourite to win the title and could seal the title, sprint race dependent, with a victory in the grand prix on Sunday. Two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would also be enough for the Briton, but anything less opens the door for Verstappen and teammate Piastri.

Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent

Springboks extend advantage against weakened Wales in Cardiff

A weakened Wales face a daunting challenge as South Africa, the world champions, come to Cardiff on the final weekend of international action of the year.

This fixture falls outside of World Rugby’s stipulated Test window, meaning both the hosts and the Springboks are without their foreign-based players. While Rassie Erasmus is nonetheless able to field a strong South African team given the extreme depth he possesses, the worry will be a difficult day for a Welsh side already short of confidence.

But Steve Tandy and his squad have little to lose and have already shown signs of promise in the head coach’s first campaign in charge. Wales fought to the last against Argentina and New Zealand and while the intensity level may have to ratchet up again here, there will be plenty of familiarity with the visitors from regular club conflict in the United Rugby Championship.

Follow all of the latest from the Principality Stadium with our live blog below:

Black Friday cruise deals – enjoy luxe all-inclusive trips for less

Already dreaming about your next unforgettable escape? Picture this: gazing at a postcard-perfect horizon, margarita in hand, before tucking into delicious, made-to-order dining amid superyacht inspired luxury…

Well, it’s time to make waves, Sailor: Virgin Voyages’ Black Friday offers are here, running from 21 November – 4th December, with epic savings to be made across 2025, 2026, and their newly-launched 2027 sailings. What’s more, you can get 80 per cent off a second ‘Sailor’ and up to $500 in free drinks – find out more at Virgin Voyages.

And these aren’t just any cruises; these are award-winning, exclusively adult cruises, providing a playground at sea for discerning grownups, with no buffets, and certainly no beige (they favour red, instead). There’s over $1,000/£750 in value built right in, from WiFi and group fitness classes to essential drinks and award-winning dining – all with no hidden extras. Prices are all-in, and stay that way, leaving you to focus on pure, effortless indulgence.

Exemplifying the modern luxury and romance of sailing, there are no  lacklustre, elbows-at-the-ready meals to be queued for here: instead you’ll enjoy freshly prepared food from over 20 unique eateries, guaranteeing culinary flair with distinct, delicious flavours. And prepare to have dinner with a view – every single restaurant on board has panoramas out to the ocean.

When you’re not eating (or sipping), explore the ship’s sleek, design-led spaces. Think nautically cool cabins with roomy rain showers and heavenly hammocks made for lazy afternoons. Hit The Manor, Virgin’s sexy, disco-glam nightclub reached through a mirrored corridor straight out of a K-pop video. Or lose yourself in The Red Room, where cutting-edge shows and dance parties keep the energy high till sunrise. Then there’s The Groupie – your private karaoke den for those ‘we’re definitely forming a band’ moments (crafted cocktails highly encouraged).

Need inspo for which cruise to choose? How about this one: 2026 sees the introduction of one of Virgin Voyages’ most highly anticipated routes – the debut of its sailing to Alaska, running from May to September aboard Brilliant Lady.

The ship will take 16 memorable journeys roundtrip from Seattle (with some from Vancouver), lasting from between seven to 12 nights. You’ll experience the region’s wild beauty and authentic ports which most cruise lines skip, from the dramatic fjords of Tracy Arm to hidden gems like Haines (the Bald Eagle capital of the world) Icy Strait Point, an indigenous-owned destination perfect for whale watching and adventure, and Sitka – where you’ll find a blend of Russian and Native heritage – taking you deeper into America’s Last Frontier.

You can also immerse yourself on-land via Virgin Voyages ‘Shore Thing’ experiences, with over 250 excursions crafted for adults, including bear spotting, dog sledding, glacier hikes, and indigenous-led cultural immersions, designed for adults – not busloads. And with longer port times, you’ll be able to explore exciting destinations like Alaska’s capital, Juneau, without feeling rushed; there are no early departures here, so you can spend a generous eight unhurried hours marvelling at the epic panoramas from the Mount Roberts Tramway, watching whales in Auke Bay, or visiting epic natural wonders like the Mendenhall Glacier.

And it’s never too late to think even further ahead; Virgin Voyages has also just launched its new 2027 itineraries, expanding to a range of fresh destinations. Feeling hot, hot, hot? A few of them depart from Miami and take in the Caribbean, such as the St Thomas, US Virgin Islands cruise – a brand new port which also stops at Tortola, Antigua and St Kitts and Nevis – and the shorter Cayman Isles and Bimini Beach cruise, where you can swim with stingrays, bask in the sun, and savour authentic Caribbean cuisine.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, there’s the Greenland & Transatlantic cruise, where you’ll sail from  Iceland’s hip capital, Reykjavik to Greenland’s colourful villages, Qaqortoq and Nuuk, before making your way towards New York City. And the best part? If you take advantage of Virgin Voyages’ Black Friday offers, from 21 November – 4th December 2025, you’ll make significant savings plus get up to $500 in free drinks. Which leaves all the more money to spend on Christmas presents….

Anchors away! To set sail in style, book now at virginvoyages.com

Trump tells airlines to consider Venezuela’s airspace closed

President Donald Trump told airlines to consider Venezuela’s airspace closed, days after he vowed to take action on land “very soon.”

Following dozens of strikes against alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that have killed more than 80 people since September, Trump suggested to military service members in a Thanksgiving Day phone call that the U.S. would soon take action “on land.”

On Saturday, he urged the clearing of the airspace near the South American country. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” the U.S. president wrote on Truth Social Saturday morning.

Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration also warned airlines to “exercise caution” when flying over Venezuela “due to the worsening security situation and heightened military activity.”

Several airlines cancelled their flights as a result of the FAA’s warning.

Last week, the White House was reportedly considering having U.S. military planes drop leaflets — containing details about the $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nicolás Maduro — over Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, the Washington Post reported.

For months, the U.S. government has been building up a military presence in the region to curb what Trump administration officials call “narco-terrorists” and has also made it clear it wants to oust Maduro.

Maduro has been in power since 2013, following the death of Hugo Chavez. The U.S. is among more than 50 countries that have refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s head of state, claiming he lost the 2024 presidential election. The State Department has offered rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the Venezuelan president since 2020; the Trump administration raised the reward to $50 million this year.

The U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, which Trump alleges are fueled by Maduro’s government. Last month, the State Department designated Cartel de los Soles as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization,” claiming it’s headed by Maduro and other high-ranking members of his “illegitimate” regime.

Days before the State Department designated Maduro to be the leader of a foreign terrorist organization, Trump and Maduro spoke on the phone, suggesting they meet, the New York Times reported Friday. Sources also told Axios this week that Trump is planning on speaking directly with Maduro.

Still, Trump has ramped up threats of military action against the country.

“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many,” Trump said on his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops. “Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore.”

“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon. We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country,” he added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the series of strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in a Friday social media post.

“The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” he wrote. “The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them.”

Hegseth insisted the strikes were “lawful” as legal experts, former national security officials, and members of Congress have shared their concerns over the president’s claim that he has legal authority to launch extrajudicial killings against the alleged drug traffickers.

“Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” the defense secretary wrote.

In September, Hegseth reportedly gave a verbal order to leave no survivors behind during the first such strike. When two survivors emerged from the wreckage, a Special Operations commander overseeing the attack ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions to “kill everybody,” sources told The Washington Post.

Jessie J walks back 2014 comments about bisexuality ‘phase’

Jessie J has addressed her 2014 comments about her sexuality, which attracted criticism at the time from the LGBT+ community.

The singer-songwriter, real name Jessica Cornish, had been in a relationship a woman, though stated after the break-up that it was “a phase”.

Speaking to The Guardian in a candid new interview, Cornish said that she had misworded her feelings at the time, and said that she was “sure” her words had “hurt” her ex-partner.

“It wasn’t me saying I’m not bisexual,” said the artist, 37. “I think I’m always going to be attracted to women.

“I’m so honest and open about it, but I don’t want a label on it, like ‘Jessie J the bisexual singer’,” she added.

Asked if she remained in contact with her ex, she replied, “no, not any more”.

“I’m sure it hurt her because our relationship was amazing and we were really serious,” she continued. “We lived together for a long time: around three years.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Cornish opened up about her treatment for cancer earlier this year, experiencing a miscarriage, and her devastation after the suicide of a close friend.

In her new song “I’ll Never Know Why”, Cornish sings about the loss of someone she describes as “lost and hopeless”, confirming in the interview that this was written about her bodyguard and close friend Dave Last, who she says died by suicide in 2018.

“I miss him so much, man,” she said. “He was my guy for seven years. He was like my big brother. It makes me so sad that there was a loneliness there that meant it got to that before he would call me.

“I hope it’s a song that can help people who are left behind. And I also hope it helps people who are thinking of doing it to see a different perspective of what they would leave behind and how much they’re loved and wanted.”

She also spoke about her recent health struggles, which included treatment for breast cancer earlier this year.

“My mum and dad always did such a great job of not making that the definitive thing in my life, and not making me define my character by my worst days,” she said. “That was amazing and has carried through to now.

“[My health struggles] have made me live life more, eat better, work out more,” she said. “Made me live in the moment.”

Jessie J’s new album Don’t Tease Me With a Good Time is out now.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.