Organisers for Your Party Scotland have arranged a lunchtime debate to settle the question of the party’s Gaelic name. The debate will be held 1.15-1.45pm on Sunday 8th February at the party’s founding conference in Dundee.

There are several ways to express possessive pronouns in Gaelic, and consulting with Gaelic speakers ahead of the conference, organisers found no clear consensus on whether the name should be translated as “Ur Pàrtaidh” or “Am Pàrtaidh Agaibh”. It was therefore decided that a decision should be taken by Gaelic-speaking members.

The debate will be chaired by Fred Bayer (who goes by “Calum” in Gaelic), one of the conference organisers. Bayer studied Gaelic at the University of Aberdeen and has contributed to Gaelic media productions such as BBC Alba’s Leugh Mi and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal’s Breab do Rapal.

Bayer said: “Inclusion is writ large in Your Party, and that applies to Scotland’s diverse language communities as well. Rather than impose an arbitrary decision, organisers felt it important to give our Gaelic-speaking members a voice in how they would like to render the party’s name in their language.”

The decision taken at the debate will determine the Gaelic name specified in the party’s constitution. It is believed that this session will be the first time a formal business session at a Scottish party conference will take place entirely through the medium of Gaelic.

The Founding Conference of Your Party Scotland will take place in Dundee this weekend, with members debating election plans, policy, and the party’s leadership model north of the border. 

The event is expected to welcome hundreds of party members to the city’s Bonar Hall, with high-profile speakers travelling from England and Europe. 

Among the speakers will be Your Party Glasgow councillor Dan Hutchison, MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, and Teachta Dála Paul Murphy of Ireland’s People Before Profit–Solidarity. Representatives from socialist parties and movements in Germany, Serbia and Spain will also join the conference.  

On the agenda are debates on Your Party Scotland’s Founding Documents, which will resolve the party’s position on Scottish independence, Your Party Scotland’s relationship to the party in England and Wales, and the model used for leadership north of the border. Discussions about working with other left-wing parties will also be discussed. 

Importantly, members will also discuss and decide Your Party’s approach to May’s Scottish Parliament elections. Should the party decide to stand, the process for selecting candidates, and developing policy will begin as early as Monday. 

The hybrid event will also allow members to take part in all sessions via Zoom, ensuring the maximum amount of discussion and input from members in the democratic process. 

Organising group member Ellie Gomersall said: “The political establishment has let people across Scotland down time after time. It couldn’t be clearer that a new movement – built from the ground up by ordinary people – is desperately needed.

“That’s exactly what we’re doing this weekend. This is a member-led party, and it’ll be members from all across Scotland who’ll be collectively making key decisions in Dundee – from our approach to Scottish independence, to our own organisational set-up, and our approach to this year’s Holyrood elections.

“No-one said founding a new party from scratch would be easy – but with a genocidal right-wing Labour government in power in Westminster and a stale SNP government running out of ideas in Holyrood, the need for Your Party in Scotland is clear – and this conference is just the start.”

Organisers in Your Party have confirmed its inaugural Scottish conference will take place in Dundee early next year. 

The Scottish Conference Organising Group has been formed to lead on organising and delivering a conference on 7th & 8th February 2026 at the Bonar Hall to determine the future and direction of the party. 

The group, consisting of Scottish activists from across the country, is working together with the party’s national interim steering group to secure funding and operational support for the conference.

Appointments to the group came from proto-branches (interim local groups self-organised by activists) and brings together members who have come to Your Party from across the left.  

At its first meeting on Sunday, the group chose Dundee to host the conference as a central location taking into account members from outwith the Central Belt. The date and venue were selected based on availability and to provide ample time for members to engage with the conference ahead of time.

Organising group member Ryan Donachie said, “A survey circulated to members before our first meeting indicated areas where members felt we could improve on the Liverpool conference, and we want to assure you all that we have taken this on board. Liverpool was an important first step in establishing Your Party, and we hope that Dundee will build upon that.

“We are very excited about the possibilities for a new left-wing party in Scotland, and the opportunities that presents. We hope to see our growing membership join us in Dundee in February for what will be a historic conference.”