Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana has said she is consulting “specialist defamation lawyers”, accusing Jeremy Corbyn and others of “baseless attacks” on her character. It comes amid an ongoing row over her push for members to sign up to Your Party, the political outfit she established with Mr Corbyn.
A message went out to supporters of the outfit on Thursday morning which invited them to sign up officially and back Your Party financially. Mr Corbyn described it as an “unauthorised email”, warned people in a statement posted on social media not to sign up via the link, and cancel any direct debits for the £55 membership fee.
Ms Sultana said she took the step because she had been “sidelined” and “effectively frozen out” by Mr Corbyn and fellow independent MPs Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohammed and Shockat Adam.
She also claimed to have faced a “sexist boys’ club” in Your Party and that members wouldn’t accept political strategist Karie Murphy and her associates having “sole financial control of members’ money” and “constitutional control” over the outfit’s conference.
At an event on Saturday, Mr Corbyn said Ms Murphy had faced “an awful lot of stick and criticism this week”.
He said: “I’ve known Karie Murphy for many, many years and I’m appalled when people attack an individual like her. She’d walk on burning coals for a cause that she believes in.”
The row over the membership portal and now Ms Murphy’s position exposes a deep rift in the party, which has barely even got off the ground.
In her latest salvo, Ms Sultana confirmed she had instructed defamation lawyers, adding: “Over the last 24 hours, a number of false and defamatory statements have been published about me concerning the launch of Your Party’s membership portal.
“The portal was properly launched in accordance with the party’s roadmap. At no point was members’ data misused or put at risk. All funds received from members were ring-fenced and protected in the appropriate manner.
“These baseless attacks on my character are politically motivated and I intend to hold to account those responsible for making them.”
The organisation handling the party’s donations – MOU Operations Ltd – said it had sought to resolve disputes between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana.
MOU Operations’ directors, former MP Beth Winter, former North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll and Andrew Feinstein – who stood against Sir Keir Starmer at the general election – said they were “incredibly disappointed to see the leadership fallout in Your Party” but assured people their donations were safe.
