Your Party is pushing ahead with plans for its founding conference in November, despite major divisions between co-leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, which have left the future of the party in doubt.
Insiders have told The Independent that “diplomatic efforts” are underway within the new left-wing group to try to heal divisions – although it is not expected that any resolution will be reached quickly.
It comes after Ms Sultana said on Thursday she had been subjected to a “sexist boys’ club” amid a dispute over a new membership system.
However, despite the row, which has even led Mr Corbyn to say he has sought legal advice, the party has no plans to cancel its conference, The Independent has been told.
The conference, which was announced on Tuesday, is expected to see thousands of delegates come together in November for the first time and has been described by one insider as “the litmus test” for the fledgling party.
In an email to supporters, the party said it would open membership applications by the end of September, ahead of the conference two months later. But it did not give precise dates or a location.
On Thursday morning, an invite went out to supporters of the outfit, so far described as “Your Party” in its campaign material, inviting them to officially sign up and give it financial backing.
But Mr Corbyn described this as an “unauthorised email” and warned people in a statement posted on social media not to sign up via the link.
The former Labour leader and Independent MP for Islington North also said “legal advice is being taken” over the message, which featured the names of four other Independent MPs who have set up an ad-hoc parliamentary group with Mr Corbyn.
They are Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed and Shockat Adam.
Any direct debits should be “immediately cancelled”, Mr Corbyn’s message said.
In turn, Coventry South MP Ms Sultana said: “After being sidelined by the MPs named in today’s statement and effectively frozen out of the official accounts, I took the step of launching a membership portal so that supporters could continue to engage and organise.”
Despite Mr Corbyn’s warning, she insisted supporters of Your Party should “sign up now” as the portal was a “safe, secure, legitimate” means of becoming a member of the party.
Ms Sultana added: “My sole motivation has been to safeguard the grassroots involvement that is essential in building this party.
Statement from https://t.co/IMsx47g0HE pic.twitter.com/MARLGJCyIQ
— Your Party (@thisisyourparty) September 18, 2025
“Unfortunately I have been subjected to what can only be described as a sexist boys’ club: I have been treated appallingly and excluded completely.”
Later on Thursday, the party said it had reported itself to the UK’s data protection watchdog over the morning email, claiming that a “false membership system has been unilaterally launched”.
It said data had been collected and payments taken and that the data controller had flagged the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office, citing its “responsibilities to our supporters and duties under the law”.
The party said the developments were a “blow for everyone who has put their hope in a real alternative” and that Ms Sultana “has not been excluded from any discussions”.
The row over whether the membership portal is legitimate is the latest in a series of disagreements between the two MPs over the direction of the party, which has yet to hold an annual conference or decide on an official name.
Earlier this year, Ms Sultana announced she would be setting up the new left-wing political party with Mr Corbyn, before he appeared ready to confirm this was the case.
She has also reportedly clashed with Independent MP for Blackburn, Mr Hussain, over their different views on trans rights.
The party had begun to build momentum with more than 750,000 supporters signed up since its launch earlier this year under the placeholder name of Your Party, according to Ms Sultana.
But opponents on Thursday also highlighted a Companies House listing that showed Mr Corbyn ceased to be a person with significant control of Your Party UK Ltd on 15 September.
It is understood that this is because the former Labour leader fell below the threshold as other Independent MPs became directors.
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