Internal Conflict Over Donations Rocks Your Party
The newly formed left-wing political organisation, Your Party, established by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, is embroiled in a significant public dispute concerning the handling of substantial supporter donations. The conflict has escalated between the camps of the party's two prominent founders, revealing deep divisions within the movement's leadership.
The Statement of Discontent
A strongly worded statement issued by Jeremy Corbyn alongside MPs Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed has brought the internal rift into public view. The statement, notably not signed by Zarah Sultana, expresses profound frustration that hundreds of thousands of pounds donated to the party by supporters "in good faith" have remained inaccessible to the party itself.
The MPs described the situation as "extremely frustrating and disheartening," highlighting the challenges faced by volunteers working on a "shoestring budget" to organise the party's founding conference scheduled for the end of the month. They confirmed that only a "small portion" of the funds was transferred to the party on Thursday, which they immediately deemed "insufficient" for their needs.
The £600,000 Offer and Rejection
The core of the dispute centres on MOU Operations Ltd, a company established by the party's founders earlier this year to manage initial donations and operations. Recently, Zarah Sultana assumed sole control of this company.
Earlier this week, Sultana made a formal offer to transfer £600,000 from MOU Operations Ltd back to Your Party. She argued that the remainder of the funds, understood to be part of a total sum of approximately £800,000 that party officials were seeking, should be retained to cover potential future legal or administrative expenses.
This offer was promptly rejected by allies of Jeremy Corbyn, who accused Sultana of engaging in "political games" with supporters' money. The rejection underscores the lack of trust and agreement on financial governance between the two factions.
Ongoing Financial and Legal Stalemate
The political infighting has created a stalemate that threatens to hamper the new party's launch. Your Party officials had previously threatened legal action against MOU Operations Ltd to recover the full amount of donations.
A spokesperson for Zarah Sultana stated on Monday that she is "working to transfer all funds and data held by MOU Operations Ltd to Your Party." They emphasised that as sole director, Sultana is legally responsible for ensuring the company's liabilities are settled before a full transfer can occur.
The spokesperson outlined a proposed schedule, indicating the first £200,000 was scheduled for transfer on 12th November, with the remaining funds to follow once all company costs and expenses are fully settled. However, this timeline and partial transfer approach has failed to satisfy the Corbyn-aligned faction, who are demanding the immediate transfer of all donated money.
The statement from the Corbyn-aligned MPs concluded by vowing to continue pursuing the full transfer of funds, acknowledging that while building a democratic party was never expected to be smooth, "some of the difficulties we have faced were inevitable, but others were deliberate acts." This pointed remark suggests the conflict runs deeper than mere administrative disagreements.
