Financial Feud Erupts in New Left-Wing Party
A bitter financial dispute has erupted between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana over hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations to their new political venture, Your Party. The conflict comes as the party prepares for its founding national conference in Liverpool later this month, where members will approve a draft constitution and elect leadership.
The £850,000 Donation Dispute
At the heart of the controversy lies approximately £850,000 collected by MOU Operations Ltd, a company established during Your Party's formation earlier this year. On Monday, Sultana - who has recently taken sole control of the company - offered to transfer £600,000 to the party, arguing the remaining funds should be retained for potential legal or administrative expenses.
This offer was promptly rejected by allies of Corbyn, who accused Sultana of playing "political games" with supporters' money. Party officials have been seeking the full amount and had even threatened legal action against the company.
A spokesperson for Sultana stated: "Zarah is working to transfer all funds and data held by MOU Operations Ltd to Your Party. As sole director, she is legally responsible for ensuring the company's costs, liabilities and expenses are settled, and this process may take some time."
Leadership Battle Intensifies
The financial row represents the latest escalation in months of acrimonious fighting between the two former Labour MPs, both positioning themselves to lead the new populist left movement. The power struggle is expected to culminate in a formal leadership contest early next year.
Corbyn supporters argue that Sultana is attempting to retain funds to support her leadership campaign, while Sultana's allies maintain that some money must be held back in case early donors request refunds. Notably, officials don't want the party to take control of an additional £500,000 collected through an unauthorised membership portal Sultana launched on 18 September.
Sultana's camp claims she wants to ensure sufficient funds are transferred before the Liverpool conference to avoid scaling back the event due to financial constraints. The first £200,000 is scheduled for transfer on 12 November, with remaining funds to follow after settling all company liabilities.
The dispute highlights the broader tensions within the emerging left-wing movement, pitting Corbyn's established national profile against Sultana's significant digital influence - her TikTok following of nearly 490,000 far exceeds Corbyn's 280,000 followers.
