Zarah Sultana has levied accusations of a “witch hunt” against key figures within the nascent political party she is establishing alongside Jeremy Corbyn, alleging a purge of left-wing activists.
Sultana boycotted the opening day of the founding conference for the project, currently known as Your Party, following the expulsion of several members affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party.
Party officials attributed the expulsions to violations of regulations prohibiting members from belonging to other political organizations, both domestically and internationally.
Sultana’s remarks coincided with Corbyn’s conference address, in which he appealed for unity, citing the party’s “unique opportunity” to establish “a socialist party of mass appeal”.
Speaking to the BBC, Sultana also stated that one of her staff members was denied access to the conference. Your Party officials confirmed the denial but refuted claims of political motivation.
A spokesperson for Sultana stated: “This witch hunt is indefensible – we must build a party that welcomes all socialists.”
When questioned by the BBC about her “witch hunt” claim, Sultana affirmed: “Absolutely.”
She further added: “And it is disgusting to see the type of behaviour we have seen in the Labour Party. It’s a toxic culture we’re not seeking to replicate here.”
Sultana alleged that “nameless and faceless bureaucrats” were “working in the shadows” to expel individuals “without the membership actually voting on it”.
Sultana asserted that members of other groups “shouldn’t be made to choose” between their existing affiliations and “our new party”.
A Your Party spokesman responded: “Members of another national political party signed up to Your Party in contravention of clearly stated membership rules – and these rules were enforced.”
“We’re focused on hosting a democratic founding conference with thousands of members coming together to debate and decide the big issues.”
“This is politics outside the Westminster mould: from the ground up, not the top down.”
During his address, Corbyn acknowledged “mistakes” during the party’s challenging formation, a period marked by disagreements between Sultana and party officials, as well as the resignation of two MPs from the project.
Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed resigned within a week of each other, citing internal tensions.
Prior to their departure, both Hussain and Mohamed had co-signed a letter criticizing Sultana for allegedly failing to transfer an estimated £800,000 in Your Party donations held by a company under her control.
The funds are held by MoU Operations Ltd, which collected the initial donations during Your Party’s formal registration process.
Sultana has transferred £600,000, pledging to remit the remaining funds “as soon as possible, as the legal details are ironed out”.
Speaking on Saturday, Corbyn stated: “As a party, we’ve got to come together and be united, because division and disunity will not serve the interests of the people that we want to represent.”
He also advocated for “public, democratic ownership” of the water industry, led a “free, free Palestine” chant, and urged party members to “campaign forevermore for real socialism and real social justice”.
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