Your Party weaponise Black identity

Claudia Webbe is an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and a former Labour MP. On 9 February, she criticised a Your Party (YP) group said to represent Black members. The group in question is the Your Party Black Network (YPBN):

In response, figures on the other side of YP have accused Webbe of being factional in the opposite direction. That’s quite a choice, given Webbe is calling out anti-Black racism.

Your Party ‘Unauthorised account’

The attached statement reads:

STATEMENT FROM BLACK MEMBERS OF YOUR PARTY

For Immediate Release – 8 February 2026

Re: Unauthorised Account @YPBlackNetwork

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We, the undersigned Black members of Your Party – the majority of us Black women who have dedicated years to building genuine representation within our movement – issue this statement with deep concern and disappointment.

We do not recognise, endorse, or authorise the account @YPBlackNetwork to speak on our behalf.

This account, launched just days ago, does not represent the Black membership of Your Party. It appears to have been established not to advance the interests, voices, or struggles of Black communities, but to weaponise Black identity in service of narrow factional disputes.

This is unacceptable.

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The appropriation of Black identity for sectarian political gain is a form of exploitation. It diminishes the genuine work of Black activists, organisers, and members who have fought – often against significant resistance – for authentic representation and meaningful change.

We call out this account for:

Misappropriation – Using the name and implied authority of Black members without consent or mandate

Misrepresentation – Purporting to speak for a community it does not represent

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Misinformation – Creating a false impression of grassroots Black organising where none exists

Exploitation – Treating Black identity as a political prop to be deployed in internal battles

To be clear: our Blackness is not a factional tool. Our communities face real challenges – structural racism, health inequalities, economic injustice, and persistent underrepresentation. These struggles deserve serious, accountable leadership, not anonymous accounts serving ulterior agendas.

We urge all members, supporters, and the wider public to treat any pronouncements from this account with appropriate scepticism. If you wish to engage with Black members of Your Party, seek out those who have earned trust through years of visible, accountable work in our communities.

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We remain committed to genuine representation, honest dialogue, and building a party that truly serves all its members – not one where Black identity is co-opted for factional convenience.

Signed – YP Black Sisters

Claudia Webbe
Anna Rothery
Andrea Gilbert
Moira Samuels

Val Watson
Cheryl McLeod
Khadijah Thompson
Sophia Mangera

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Torkwase Holmes
Mel Mullings
Tracey Hylton

The account under scrutiny state on their X profile:

YPBN is a member-led grassroots network. Our aims include mobilising support for YP and resolving disputes between competing visions within YP to forge unity.

YPBN has since responded to the allegations against them:

They earlier stated:

O pain, when ex-Labour right-wingers
Seek to infect thy noble party,
Yet cry “socialist” with coward tongues.
The haters hiss; the potato still must turn.

Stand with the roots.
Vote Grassroots.
@Grassroots_Left

Others have noted the issues of having representative groups in a party which is divided in a multitude of ways:

Featured image via Parliament / The Herald (YouTube)