Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana shared Trans Day of Remembrance messages while Labour stayed silent

Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana both shared messages in honour of Trans Day of Remembrance amid on-going tensions over trans rights within their newly-formed Your Party, and as their former party, Labour, stayed silent.

Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is marked every year on 20 November and is an moment to honour and grieve members of the trans community whose lives have been lost to transphobic violence.

Taking to social media, Corbyn and Sultana both marked TDoR with messages which reaffirmed their commitment to the trans community.

“On Trans Day of Remembrance, we mourn those who have lost their lives to transphobic violence, hatred and discrimination,” Corbyn wrote.

“Trans rights are human rights.

“Today, let us commit to building a kinder society where everyone can live in peace, dignity and freedom.”

Sultana also wrote: “Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance 🏳️‍⚧️🕯️

“We honour the lives tragically taken by transphobic violence and hatred, and we reaffirm our commitment to creating a world where every trans person can live openly, safely and with the dignity they deserve.”

Corbyn and Sultana, both ex-Labour MPs who now sit in the House of Commons as independents, launched their new political group, known as Your Party, in July.

Sultana and Corbyn are two of the six MPs who make up the independent alliance, which also includes independent MPs and Your Party supporters Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed and Shockat Adam.

Your Party was met with a positive reception when it launched, with more than 800,000 people believed to have signed up to its mailing list by the end of August.

However, tensions quickly arose between the founders – with Sultana accusing Corbyn and the other independent MPs of being a “sexist boys club” – and members of the LGBTQ+ community took issue with Corbyn and Sultana seemingly not being forthcoming about Your Party’s trans policies.

Further to this, Your Party member Adnan Hussain, who was elected as Blackburn’s MP in July 2024, caused controversy when he said that trans women are “not biologically women”.

After quote-tweeting a social media user who said Your Party should not “parrot the same neoliberal idea of gender ideology”, Hussain responded: “I agree, women’s rights and safe spaces should not be encroached upon. Safe third spaces should be an alternative option.”

Following this, Sultana confirmed trans rights were a key element of Your Party policy and transphobia would not be welcome. Last week, Adnan Hussain claimed there is a “toxic” culture in Your Party and announced he is leaving it, the BBC reported.

Labour remained silent

Whilst the Greens and Lib Dems put out official messages to mark Trans Day of Remembrance there was significant silence from Labour and several other centre-left political parties.

No public message was shared by Labour, the Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) or Alliance.

It perhaps goes without saying, but unsurprisingly parties on the right – like the Conservatives, Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – also did not issue messages.

In its message, the Green Party – headed by recently elected leader and staunch trans ally Zack Polanski, who also spoke at the TDoR vigil in London’s Trafalgar Square – wrote:

“Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the transgender lives lost to violence.

“The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.”

The Lib Dems also wrote in their own statement: “Today on Trans Day of Remembrance we remember those who have lost their lives to transphobic violence, and reflect on how we as a society can end this loss of life.

“Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the rights of everyone in the LGBT+ community.”