Your Party co-founders Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana continue to clash over £800,000 in donations, with no sign that the internal dispute will end anytime soon.
The feud between the two independent MPs has once again spilled into the open, as rival camps trade accusations over control of the funds.
Sultana, who gained sole access to the money last week, has offered to transfer £600,000 from the company she and Corbyn set up earlier this year, while keeping £200,000 to cover potential legal or administrative expenses.
Corbyn has accused her of playing “political games” with supporters’ money.
The dispute has caused mounting frustration among senior figures within Your Party and has exposed deepening divisions in the fledgling organisation.
Dispute over money and control
The latest row centres on funds held by MoU Operations, a company formed in April to support what was envisioned as a new force on the populist left.
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Your Party, officially registered on 30 September, has declared assets of £850,000 that it has yet to receive.
Party officials even threatened legal action against MoU Operations over the delay.
Sultana, who recently took control of MoU, offered to transfer £600,000 rather than the full amount — a move met with strong disapproval from Corbyn’s allies and Your Party officials. A spokesperson for Sultana said: “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.”
They added: “The first £200,000 is scheduled to be sent on 12 November. All remaining funds will be transferred once the company’s costs, expenses and liabilities are settled in full.”
Your Party declined to comment on the latest developments, but insiders say officials are preparing to reject Sultana’s offer.
Unauthorised membership launch
Tensions between Corbyn and Sultana first emerged in September when Sultana launched an unauthorised membership campaign, exposing MoU to potential liabilities and complicating the transfer of funds.
Former directors of MoU said their role had been “misunderstood and mishandled.” After several failed attempts to resolve internal disputes, they resigned and handed full control to Sultana.
Your Party officials now argue that she should repay the full £850,000.
Sources close to Corbyn believe Sultana is retaining part of the funds to prepare for a future leadership contest, while her allies claim some money must be held back in case early donors request refunds.
In a joint resignation statement, MoU’s former directors said: “The role of holding donations was thrust upon us. The company we are responsible for has repeatedly been used without our agreement.
“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. We cannot accept personal liability for actions taken without our knowledge or approval.”
The disputed funds were raised on 18 September when Sultana 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 the fees went directly to MoU.
Corbyn said the campaign was unauthorised and raised further legal concerns. MoU was not the rightful holder of the contact data used in the emails, which belonged to Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project. The matter was reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office and remains under investigation.
The dispute has dealt a major blow to the party’s credibility, undermining early hopes that Your Party could unify the fractured British left.
Disorganisation, poor communication, and increasingly public infighting among the founders have created uncertainty over the party’s future, just weeks before its founding conference in Liverpool on 29 November.
