YOUR PARTY will have an innovative collective leadership after members voted to reject the traditional single-leader model.

The surprise decision for a leadership by a committee rather than an individual had been championed by Zarah Sultana once her preference for co-leadership had been excluded.

The narrow vote, both of delegates at the conference and party members taking part online, means the prospect of Ms Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn fighting each other for the top post has evaporated.

Leadership will instead be provided by a central executive committee, which will choose a chair and deputy chair as the party’s public-facing leadership. Neither post can be held by an MP.

There will be four seats on the committee reserved for public office holders, but the great majority will be lay members.

The committee will be elected by members early in the new year. There will be a further review of leadership arrangements at the end of 2027.

In the other major constitutional controversy, the party voted by a large majority of nearly 70 per cent to open the door to joint membership of other parties.

The decision came after the party had excluded leading members of the Socialist Workers Party on the eve of conference, a move which caused some ructions and contributed to a decision by Ms Sultana to boycott the proceedings on Saturday.

The unhappiness generated by the exclusions doubtless contributed to the vote, which again had been championed by Ms Sultana.

Conference organisers had been seized by a fear of organised disruption by far-left groups, but this did not materialise, despite an apparently large number of members of such groups being present in the hall.

The doors will not be flung open immediately, however — the executive will have to determine which other parties are sufficiently congruent with the new party’s values to allow joint membership.

It would seem most likely, however, that members of other left-wing parties will be able to join Your Party, while any member of a right-wing party seeking to join would still be excluded.

About 9,000 of the party’s 55,000 members took part in the voting either online or in the conference.

In other votes, it was agreed to bar Your Party MPs from holding second jobs, and for party branches having control of a significant portion of party funds.

Ms Sultana said: “I have fought for maximum member democracy since day one. Seeing members choose collective leadership is truly exciting.

“Together, we’re building a new socialist party — radically democratic and powered by a mass movement. This party will be led by its members, not MPs. This is only the beginning.”