In the final days of voting for Your Party’s Central Executive Committee, make your vote count to put an end to factionalism

The elections for the Your Party CEC (the leadership body of YP) ends on Monday 23 Feb.

Counterfire member Michael Lavalette is standing in the ‘public office holders’ section, a section in which all members of YP can vote. If you are a YP member and haven’t voted yet, please vote Michael Lavalette #1.

When YP was launched it offered hope to millions and hundreds of thousands of people signed up. But factionalism, in-fighting and political disagreement have undermined that initial enthusiasm. Indeed, the whole project is in danger of collapse as a result of constant factionalism.

The CEC elections offer YP one final chance to re-focus and establish itself as a viable left alternative to Labour.

Michael is standing because CF has a vision of YP as an outward facing, radical and insurgent party rooted in our communities, trades unions and social movements. We believe that YP can grow and rekindle the initial enthusiasm that met its launch if it is united around a common socialist programme which focuses on addressing the cost of living crisis, wealth redistribution and prioritising ‘welfare not warfare’.

Such a programme can unite the vast majority within YP, but, just as importantly, it is a programme that addresses the needs of millions of working-class people across the country.

But people don’t simply flock to parties because they have the right programme! It is also because they see the party, active and united, in their communities, trades unions, social movements and campaigns for a better world. YP must become that organisation – visible and active in working-class estates across the country and YP members the ‘go to people’ if you want to fight to improve your community, or march against war or racism, or fight the boss for better pay.

This is a vision of YP as an activist insurgent party embedded in working-class communities and fighting, with people, for a better world.

Because of the unusual electoral system being used by YP, it is likely that only your first 2 votes in the public office holders section will count. For that reason we’re asking people to rank Michael first. And because we are committed to unity we are asking you to vote for both Jeremy and Zarah (2 and 3 in whatever order you want), and Grassroots Left’s Grace Lewis 4.

We need unifying voices on the CEC if YP is to get itself out of the hole it is now in. If YP fails it will be a significant setback for left electoral politics in Britain. The CEC elections are our last chance to stabilise the party and push it to be outward facing, radical and insurgent.