Allies of Zarah Sultana have accused elements within the new left-wing Your Party of attempting to sabotage her political standing ahead of an anticipated leadership contest. The dramatic claim emerges as the fledgling party is engulfed by another internal crisis, with the resignation of independent MP Adnan Hussain, who blasted the organisation's 'toxic atmosphere'.
The infighting escalated significantly on Thursday, 13 November 2025, when the party released an official statement expressing frustration that hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations were 'beyond its reach'. The statement, signed by Jeremy Corbyn and the 'independence alliance' of MPs, demanded the full amount be transferred immediately.
Donations Row and Accusations of Sabotage
At the heart of the dispute is a company called MOU Operations, of which Zarah Sultana is the sole director. This entity collected approximately £800,000 in supporter donations while Your Party was being formally constituted. Ms Sultana has insisted she is transferring the money in stages for legal reasons.
This week, she transferred £200,000 and outlined a plan to send a further £400,000 in tranches before the party's founding conference, with the remainder to be sent once the company's liabilities are settled and it is wound up by the end of March 2025.
However, Your Party's statement described the sum received as a 'small portion' and 'insufficient', claiming volunteers were working on a 'shoestring budget'. Crucially, the statement was published on official party social media channels minutes before Ms Sultana was due to appear on BBC Question Time.
A source close to Ms Sultana told Sky News: 'It's unbelievable really. She's transferring money as promised... and they wait until she's about to appear on BBC QT to publish that. It's hard to interpret it as anything other than deliberate sabotage, because they're worried she'll win a leadership contest.'
MP Resignation and Claims of a 'Toxic Culture'
The factional warfare intensified on Friday, 14 November 2025, when independent MP for Blackburn, Adnan Hussain, announced his resignation from the party's founding process. In a lengthy statement, he cited 'persistent infighting, factionalism and a struggle for power'.
Mr Hussain lamented what he called 'clique-like behaviour' and a 'toxic atmosphere' that he claimed was more focused on internal power struggles than a commitment to common goals. He also raised specific concerns about the treatment of Muslim men within the party, suggesting the rhetoric towards them had been 'disturbingly similar to the forces the left claims to oppose'.
His departure highlights the ongoing tensions within the broad coalition attempting to establish Your Party. The 'independence alliance', which includes MPs like Ayoub Khan and Shockat Adam, has faced criticism from some quarters for holding views that are not fully aligned with the party's core socialist base.
Leadership Battle Looms
The internal conflicts are set against the backdrop of an impending leadership election scheduled for the new year. The founding conference in Liverpool in the coming weeks will finalise the process, with draft documents proposing a single leadership model.
This could set the stage for a direct contest between the party's two most prominent figures: Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Allies of Mr Corbyn point to his experience as a former Labour leader, while simultaneously questioning Ms Sultana's judgement, citing her 'habit of making unilateral decisions'.
These include announcing Your Party prematurely and launching an unauthorised membership portal—a move that is still under investigation by the UK's data watchdog. In contrast, Ms Sultana's backers view her as a fresh face for the left and believe her vision for the party is more democratic.
A source close to Ms Sultana suggested that Mr Hussain's resignation demonstrated the 'strategically disastrous' decision to involve MPs in the founding process who 'do not share the politics' of the party's supporters, claiming that efforts to marginalise her had backfired.
