Exclusive: Corbyn and Sultana's Your Party Faces Deletion from Official Register
In a significant development for British politics, Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's Your Party UK Ltd is set to be struck off the official Companies House register, City AM can exclusively reveal. The application to delete the political organisation was filed on Wednesday afternoon, casting serious doubt over the future of the socialist group that was launched just last year.
Directors' Tussle and Legal Questions
The two former Labour politicians, both listed as directors of the party on Companies House, have been engaged in a protracted struggle for control while the party's launch has been dogged by questions over fundraising legalities. This development raises fundamental questions about whether the party can be reformed under a different legal structure, particularly as some established political parties like Labour operate with unincorporated status rather than as limited companies.
Scandalous Beginnings and Internal Conflicts
Your Party's journey has been marked by controversy from its inception. Zarah Sultana's unauthorised launch in September was recently flagged by the Information Commissioner's Office for potential "serious criminal activity" risks, as first reported by the New Statesman. The ordeal began when Sultana emailed 800,000 people from a mailing list, urging them to pay £55, while Corbyn subsequently warned people against accessing what he called the "unauthorised" site.
The situation escalated to the point where Corbyn's Peace and Justice Project was advised to report the matter to Action Fraud, with police investigations taking precedence over independent reviews of the potential data breach. Meanwhile, independent MPs including Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed, who had initially joined the new party, departed citing concerns about smear campaigns and factionalism.
Strategic Disputes and Public Fallout
Corbyn and Sultana have publicly positioned the party as an alternative for left-wing Britons disillusioned with Labour's stance on issues ranging from foreign affairs to public ownership of services. However, behind the scenes, the pair have engaged in briefing wars against each other, with each establishing different slates in a competition for strategic dominance.
Sultana has publicly criticised Corbyn on multiple issues, including the party's naming, and briefly boycotted the party's first conference last year over what she described as an alleged "witch hunt" as members were expelled.
Regulatory Requirements and Future Uncertainty
Under UK regulations, the Electoral Commission, as the regulator for political parties, must be informed of any changes to a party's financial setup. The Commission has not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Your Party's situation. Similarly, representatives for Your Party, Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, and other party leaders have been contacted for comment but have yet to respond.
The impending deletion from Companies House represents a significant setback for a political project that aimed to reshape Britain's left-wing landscape, leaving questions about whether the movement can survive in any reconstituted form.
