Corbyn-backed Your Party hit by fresh row as co-founder seeks legal action

A fresh wave of turmoil engulfed Jeremy Corbyn's newly founded left-wing group Friday as co-founder Zarah Sultana announced she has instructed specialist defamation lawyers over what she described as baseless, politically motivated attacks linked to a row over the party's membership portal. The dispute intensified after an apparently unauthorised email urged supporters to sign up for the party, with a £55 annual fee and a payment link that listed Ms Sultana's name.

The party, which has yet to decide on an official name and has not held an annual conference, warned supporters not to hand over funds and urged them to cancel any direct debits immediately. Former Labour leader Mr Corbyn disclosed the initial message as an unauthorised email sent on the group’s behalf and said legal advice was being sought over the matter. The message also named four other Independent MPs who have formed an ad hoc group with Mr Corbyn: Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohammed and Shockat Adam.

Sultana, who has been a vocal advocate of grassroots involvement, posted a statement on X in which she denied any wrongdoing and asserted that the portal was launched securely in line with the party’s roadmap. She said the portal’s data handling and funds were properly ringfenced and protected, and she argued the attacks were politically motivated attempts to sideline her role in the party’s development. “The portal was properly launched in accordance with the party's roadmap. At no point was members' data misused or put at risk,” she wrote, adding that she would not comment further at this time to avoid prejudicing any future legal process. She also claimed she had faced a “sexist boys' club” within the group and that she had been sidelined by some MPs.

The dispute comes amid broader tensions within the movement, which began with Sultana and Mr Corbyn announcing plans to establish a left-wing party to challenge the mainstream parties. The leadership row has spilled into governance questions as the party reports it has attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters—more than 750,000 signed up since the initiative began earlier this year under the placeholder name Your Party. Opponents have pointed to a Companies House record showing Corbyn ceased to be a person with significant control of Your Party UK Ltd on September 15, a change seen as the result of other Independent MPs becoming directors.

In a separate development, a group of left-wing activists calling themselves Our Party published an open letter urging the six MPs behind the effort to step aside and hand the founding of the new party to its members. The letter called for a handover committee independent of the MPs to establish a membership system and oversee the election of a founding stewards committee that would formally set up the party. Sultana indicated she supported the call, telling supporters that the move aligned with what she had been fighting for from the start.

The row has underscored long-standing disagreements over the party’s direction, including clashes over social policies and inclusivity issues such as trans rights. The ongoing tension also involves how the party should evolve its leadership structure and fundraising practices as it seeks to transform a broad movement into a formal political entity. While dialogue about governance continues, the group has said it will address any data protection concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office, following the party’s decision to report the incident to the regulator and its acknowledgment of responsibilities to supporters and the law. The episode marks yet another setback for a project that had briefly gained momentum as it sought to mobilize a large grassroots base, while critics warn that internal disputes could hinder its ability to present a coherent platform in the near term.