Many are asking why Zarah Sultana hasn’t been listed on the party’s registration papers
The new left-wing party, temporarily named ‘Your Party’ has registered with the Electoral Commission, with Jeremy Corbyn as its sole leader.
Adnan Hussain, another of the Independent Alliance MPs has been listed as the nominating officer, with Marion Roberts, ex-vice chair of Camberwell and Peckham Constituency Labour Party as treasurer.
Co-founder of the party, Zarah Sultana was not listed on the registration papers.
Some are saying that there is no significance to the move, as parties must register a single leader (the Electoral Commission does not recognise co-leadership), and the details can be amended later.
Others are questioning why Hussain, who has been criticised for his stance on transgender rights, has been listed instead of Sultana.
They have also criticised the fact that Corbyn has been listed as leader, without a members’ ballot. However, sources close to Corbyn insist that he was listed as leader as “an interim arrangement” ahead of the Your Party conference in November.
They say that models of leadership will also be decided democratically at the conference.
It’s safe to say that since its launch was announced in July, Your Party has had an extremely chaotic start.
On 3 July, Sultana said she would be quitting Labour to found a new left-wing party with Corbyn.
On the day of the ‘launch’, the former Labour leader didn’t confirm his involvement in the party.
Times journalist Gabriel Pogrund reported that Corbyn was “furious and bewildered at the way it has been launched without consultation”.
The next day, Corbyn put out a statement saying a new party would be created, and welcomed Sultana’s involvement, but he made no mention of co-founding it with her.
Earlier this month, further controversy emerged. Corbyn’s team were reportedly behind the publication of a roadmap relating to the party’s formation on 16 September.
Sultana allegedly didn’t consent to the roadmap being published as she objected to the conference arrangements committee not being gender-balanced.
On 18 September, Sultana sent an email to supporters announcing the launch of a membership portal. Corbyn subsequently posted a letter on social media saying that the email was “unauthorised”, that he was seeking legal advice and that any direct debits people have set up should be cancelled.
Responding to this, Sultana later said that she had been sidelined by the other MPs involved in the party, and claimed to have been subjected “to what can only be described as a sexist boys’ club”.
Sultana’s email to members was then referred to the Information Commissioners’ Office.
After all that chaos, ‘Our Party’ a group of activists came forward, calling on the six Independent Alliance MPs, of which Corbyn and Sultana are members, to step aside and allow grassroots members to take over the party.
Sultana backed the activists’ bid to take over ‘Your Party’.
The next day, Sultana then put out another statement, defending her launch of the membership portal and saying she had instructed specialist defamation lawyers.
On 21 September, Sultana dropped the legal threat against Corbyn.
Since then, the Coventry MP has posted little about Your Party, aside from a message encouraging supporters to sign up. She also reassured existing members, saying: “For those who joined the previous system, data and membership will be migrated across in due course.”
The future of Your Party is to be shaped at its inaugural conference on 29-30 November – but it’s unlikely the internal factions will go away.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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