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The ambitious dream of a united socialist front, encapsulated in the founding of Your Party, now teeters on the brink of collapse, sparking widespread disillusionment among the very voters it sought to inspire. The public, acrimonious feud between co-founders Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn is doing far more than embarrassing the nascent movement; it is deeply upsetting millions of left-minded Britons, particularly within the crucial British South Asian and British Muslim communities who had invested their political hope in the project and its figureheads.
For many, Jeremy Corbyn, once seen as one of the most honest political leaders in modern British history, represented a genuine break from the status quo. The internal batteries of infighting, however, are now draining the energy and hope of these supporters, including thousands of British Bangladeshis and voters in areas like East London's Tower Hamlets, who championed the Independent Alliance MPs and the pro-Palestine movement that catalysed the party’s formation.
The Litany of Conflict: Zarah Sultana's Actions
The central tension revolves around competing claims to legitimacy: the electoral mandate of the Independent Alliance MPs backed by Corbyn versus the grassroots activism championed by Sultana. This structural problem has been exacerbated by a series of dramatic and controversial actions, many centring on Zarah Sultana’s side.
- The Unauthorised Membership Portal and Funds Row: In a move viewed by Camp Corbyn as an attempted coup and a unilateral decision, Sultana launched her own paid membership system and platform in September. This was immediately labelled "unauthorised" by Corbyn and the Independent Alliance MPs, who urged supporters to cancel any payments. Critics accused Sultana of attempting to concentrate power over the membership and finances. This action led to an investigation by the UK's data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
- Withholding and Control of Funds: The conflict escalated over hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations and membership fees, estimated to be over $1.3 million in total, which were collected by the Sultana-aligned entity, MOU Operations Ltd. Corbyn and the Independent Alliance MPs have repeatedly accused Sultana of withholding funds needed for the inaugural party conference, transferring only a "meagre portion" after repeated requests. Sultana, who ultimately took sole control of MOU after three other directors resigned, offered to transfer $600,000 while retaining the rest for legal and administrative expenses, an offer rebuffed by Corbyn's allies as "political games."
- Accusations of a "Sexist Boys’ Club": In the wake of the membership portal spat, Sultana accused the male Independent Alliance MPs of running a "sexist boys' club," claiming she had been "sidelined" and "frozen out" of official accounts. While this drew sympathy from some, others saw it as a desperate move to regain leverage in an internal power struggle.
- Resignations and Political Division: The constant factional warfare prompted Independent Alliance MP Adnan Hussain to resign from the project, lamenting that the party was no longer a "broad church" due to the attacks by Sultana and her supporters against those who did not adhere to "progressive orthodoxy" on certain cultural issues, such as trans rights—a topic Sultana has taken an uncompromising, activist-aligned stance on.
- The Conference Eve Snub: The latest body blow to the fragile unity came with the exclusive report that Jeremy Corbyn was not invited to a rally held by Zarah Sultana on the eve of Your Party’s inaugural conference in Liverpool. This public, blatant exclusion underlines the deep personal and political chasm that now exists at the top of the party.
- Parliamentary Standards Watchdog Referral: Most recently, Zarah Sultana has been formally referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over her handling of the party's finances and membership data. While a spokesperson for Sultana maintained the complaint was made by someone "outside the party seemingly intending to cause trouble," and a spokesman for Corbyn denied his involvement, the referral itself adds an official layer of controversy and scrutiny to the internal chaos.
The effect of this ceaseless infighting is clear: a party that was polling level with Labour over the summer now sees increasing numbers of would-be members decamping to the Greens, or simply giving up on politics entirely. The initial colossal signup of 750,000 supporters has dramatically fallen to a mere 50,000 paid members, illustrating how the inappropriate, faction-driven leadership has made a fool of millions of UK voters who believed in a democratic, coherent left-wing alternative.
The Path to Salvation: What Corbyn Must Do
The future of Your Party—and the political hope it embodies for millions—rests precariously on the ability to resolve this crisis. As the figurehead who commands the largest, most dedicated base of supporters, the spotlight falls on Jeremy Corbyn to save the party's future.
His primary immediate action must be to force a process that prioritises party unity and democratic accountability above all else. This means immediately intervening to broker a transparent, irreversible transfer of all disputed funds and data to a central, democratically accountable party structure, thus removing the financial leverage that is crippling the organisation.
In the medium term, Corbyn must use the upcoming conference to establish a clear, universally agreed-upon constitutional blueprint. This should include accelerating the planned all-member vote on the leadership model to secure an unambiguous mandate. Most importantly, he must personally champion a platform that is broad enough to genuinely accommodate both the community-based, socially conservative voters who propelled the Independent Alliance MPs to victory, and the more uncompromising socialist base championed by Sultana. By making it clear that the party's core mission is on economic justice and anti-imperialism, and not culture-war orthodoxy, Corbyn can attempt to re-establish the "broad church" and save the movement from being devoured by its own internal strife. Failure to do so will solidify the current perception that the party is destined to fail, destroying the new political hope of millions.
