The left-wing political project, Your Party, co-led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, has been dealt another significant blow as a second Member of Parliament resigned within the space of a week.
Iqbal Mohamed, the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, announced his departure, plunging the nascent party into further crisis and raising serious questions about its viability.
A Decision After 'Careful Consideration'
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Mohamed revealed that his choice to leave was not taken lightly. He stated that 'after careful consideration' he had decided to exit the party and continue serving as an independent MP.
He attributed his resignation to 'many false allegations and smears' made against him and others associated with the group. Mohamed expressed his disappointment that these claims were reported as fact without evidence, but maintained that he and his colleagues had acted 'professionally, patiently, and in good faith throughout' the process.
Deep-Rooted Internal Conflict
This is the second high-profile exit to rock Your Party in a short period. Just last Friday, Adnan Hussain, another independent MP involved with the group, also quit. Hussain's departure was prompted by what he described as 'persistent infighting and a struggle for power' within the organisation.
The internal tensions appear to centre on a power struggle between the two co-leaders. The faction led by Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, has been pitted against Zarah Sultana, who was elected as a Labour MP but now sits as an independent.
The conflict came to a head last week when Mohamed, Hussain, Corbyn, and two other independent MPs signed a joint Your Party statement. This statement publicly accused Sultana of causing an unnecessary delay in passing on £850,000 in donations to the party, a move that reportedly infuriated her.
Allies of Sultana perceived this as a deliberate attempt to undermine her, suggesting the timing—just before her appearance on BBC One's Question Time—was designed to damage her prospects in a potential leadership contest against Corbyn.
Financial Dispute and Forthcoming Conference
The row over the substantial funds originates from the party's early days. When a membership portal was launched, Your Party lacked a formal structure or bank account. Consequently, membership fees and donations were directed to a company called MOU Operations Ltd, which lists Zarah Sultana as its sole director. The intention was always for the money to be transferred once the party was formally established.
Your Party officials insisted they urgently needed the £850,000 to fund their inaugural conference, scheduled for the weekend after next in Liverpool. This event is intended to formally appoint leaders and establish the party's policy platform.
In response, Sultana's allies argued that she was 'acting as fast as possible under the law' to facilitate the transfer. While it is reported that more of the money has since been moved and that particular dispute has calmed, new tensions have emerged.
Some figures aligned with Corbyn have been annoyed by Sultana's decision to hold her own pre-conference rally on the Friday night before the main event begins. They have taken issue with it being billed as a Your Party event when it is solely organised by her camp.
With its conference meant to be a unifying launchpad, Your Party now faces the event deeply fractured, having lost two of its associated MPs in quick succession and with visible rifts between its most prominent figures.
