Coventry MP Zarah Sultana now has sole control over £800,000 in donations to Your Party after a fierce internal dispute over funds and data, just weeks before the party’s founding conference.
The move has frustrated several senior figures and exposed deep rifts within the fledgling organisation.
The money had been held by MoU Operations, a company formed in April to support an alliance of progressive MPs around Jeremy Corbyn. Its directors included former Labour MP Beth Winter, former Labour mayor Jamie Driscoll, and ex-South African politician Andrew Feinstein.
Your Party, officially registered on 30 September with declared assets of £850,000, had not yet received the funds despite repeated internal requests. The delay prompted threats of legal action and widespread dissatisfaction.
Tensions escalated when Ms Sultana launched an unauthorised membership campaign in September, which exposed MoU to potential liabilities and complicated the transfer of donations. The former directors said their role was “misunderstood and mishandled,” and after repeated failed attempts to resolve the dispute, they resigned and handed control to Ms Sultana.
Money and control
The conflict reached a tipping point this week when Your Party sources said they were prepared to take MoU to court to obtain the money. Lawyers reportedly drafted a letter before action before the three directors stepped down. They said they had repeatedly tried to transfer control but were rebuffed.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
In a joint resignation statement, the former MoU directors said: “The role of holding donations was thrust upon us. The company we are responsible for has repeatedly been used without our agreement.”
They revealed they had offered full control to Your Party, including replacing themselves with its MPs as directors, but “only one of the six was willing to agree.”
The directors said Ms Sultana’s unauthorised launch had left MoU exposed to liabilities. “Your Party demanded control of MoU’s assets without accepting control of MoU itself. This would have left us to deal with the liabilities and costs from the confused membership launches,” they said. “We cannot accept personal liability for actions taken without our knowledge or approval.”
As a compromise, Ms Sultana agreed to become MoU’s sole member and director to bring the matter to a close.
Transfer uncertainty
While Ms Sultana now controls the funds, some within the party remain sceptical. Critics highlighted a statement she made on social media, where she said MoU’s resources “will now be used for Your Party as was always intended,” but did not explicitly confirm the transfer.
According to Sky News, a source close to Ms Sultana insisted the cash would “100%” be transferred once legal formalities were complete. The same source said she had stepped in to resolve the situation before the founding conference, accepting the risks associated with MoU to end the deadlock.
The party has not released an official statement, though Ms Sultana thanked the outgoing directors for being “patient, constructive and consistently [seeking] to resolve matters diplomatically.”
Membership confusion
The controversy partly stems from a membership drive launched by Ms Sultana in mid-September. On 18 September, she emailed supporters asking them to join for £5 a month or £55 a year. The website used for sign-ups had a different domain from the party’s official site, and fees went to MoU.
According to Jeremy Corbyn, this campaign was unauthorised and raised further legal questions. MoU was not the rightful holder of the contact data used in the email, which belonged to Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project. The incident was reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office and remains under investigation.
Because of the dispute, membership fees are unlikely to be transferred to Your Party, as those who paid are entitled to refunds. That process now falls to Ms Sultana to manage. Around 20,000 people reportedly signed up through her portal, but Your Party still lacks access to their email data.
Governance concerns
The MoU directors said they had raised alarms about governance issues from the outset. “From the day of the launch we have raised concerns about the lack of agreement and appropriate governance,” their statement read.
They accused the Your Party leadership of refusing to take full control of MoU when offered. “Your Party demanded control of MoU’s assets without accepting control of MoU itself,” they said, arguing this would have left them liable for unauthorised actions.
They maintained they had acted with integrity and sought no personal gain. “We have tried many times to hand over everything to Your Party, lock, stock and barrel. We want nothing for ourselves. We have been extraordinarily patient.”
The row has dampened hopes that Your Party could present a fresh, united front for the British left. Instead, it has exposed disorganisation, infighting and weak communication among its founding members — just as the party prepares to take its first steps onto the national stage.
