The Two-Party System Is Dead. Reform Has Broken Through – Now the Left Must Do the Same.

By Caitlin Small

British politics has been stagnant for far too long; No. 10 has become a revolving door of sloppy, short-lived Conservative leaders, and the Labour Party that is slowly contorting into Tory-Lite, with its current leader likened to Enoch Powell [1]. This two-party system cannot last forever, in the same sense that a game of tug of war can only persist so long before the rope snaps entirely.

There is an opportunity right now for the British Left to utilise the public’s disdain towards Labour and combat Reform’s ever-growing presence in the media and success in the polls. Reform’s “distinct identity” is its main point of appeal. The very fact that there is a party that is not Labour nor the Conservatives is its unique selling point, according to 19% of Reform UK considerers. That is to say, its anti-immigrant rhetoric comes in at a close second at 18% [2].

We are already observing a similar effect with the left, who have the opportunity to utilise this set of circumstances to their full ability. Ex-Labour politicians Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana have founded a new party, under the provisional name Your Party, as an alternative to “the status quo and to decades of neoliberalism.” Corbyn and Sultana are the best for the job. Corbyn’s cult-like following spans multiple age demographics, and Sultana’s outspoken support for Palestine has registered with many younger voters who feel a sense of disenfranchisement by Labour’s repeated support for Israel.

The British left is known for self-imploding, whether due to infighting or holding itself to unattainable goals and standards; however, we are hopefully seeing a change in patterns with the Corbyn-Sultana dynamic. Despite their public spat, which called their legitimacy into question (and rightfully so), the two have patched things up relatively quickly in the name of the greater good. Hopefully, this will be the crux of what their party stands for in practice – prioritising the needs of their voters and acting as a forceful challenge to the notion that privatisation is the way to go forward for Britain.

A possible coalition?

Zack Polanski was elected leader of the Greens in a landslide victory in September and has revitalised the Party, bringing newfound attention to their eco-populist outlook. Their approval rating has surged by three points within the first month, with Polanski at the helm [3]. More outspoken than his predecessors, Polanski can mobilise those on the cusp of joining the party. This is a display of the future that the Greens can have with the right actions.

Where do we go from here? We can see two leftist parties that present themselves as viable options to challenge the mainstream, but how can we see a real change? The best route for the parties to take is that of a coalition. Presenting as an organised front, rather than maintaining the stereotype of the “fragmented left,” would further gain the trust of potential voters. This is not entirely out of the question, either. Polanski opposes the statements of previous co-candidates Chowns and Ramsay, who dismissed the prospects of the Corbyn-Sultana party, requiring strong arguments in support of a pact between the two.

This will not be easy, considering we can presume the Greens will hold a more radical stance than Your Party. However, to prevent the election of Farage to office or the return of a stagnant Tory / Labour party, a united front will be necessary. Your Party will be hosting its Founding Conference at the end of November, which will cement the Party’s future aims and goals and possibly the future of British politics.

What now?

The left must take a page from Reform’s book by dominating the media, lacking any sense of subtlety and being unapologetic about it. Dismantling Reform’s arguments should be next on the agenda, shifting the narrative from anti-immigrant rhetoric to the argument that it is privatisation and tax breaks for large corporations that are damaging Britain.

The left cannot fall into the repetitive trap of striving to achieve ideological perfection and falling apart when it does not do so. The Greens and Your Party must recognise their differences and come together on a middle ground. Whilst there is room for both to act independently, they will be stronger together with careful consideration. It is imperative that the left pulls together in a time when Farage being PM does not seem so distant a thought.

References

[1] Syal, Rajeev. 2025. “Starmer Defends Plans to Curb Net Migration after Backlash from MPs.” The Guardian. The Guardian. May 12, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/12/keir-starmer-defends-plans-to-curb-net-migration.

[2] Difford, Dylan. 2025. “What Is Attracting 24% of Britons to Reform UK?” Yougov.co.uk. YouGov. January 28, 2025. https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/51474-what-is-attracting-24-of-britons-to-reform-uk.

[3] Cooke, Millie. 2025. “Why the Green Party Is Surging up the Polls.” The Independent. October 16, 2025. https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/polling-green-party-zack-polanksi-labour-reform-b2846860.html.