Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Zarah Sultana, a former Labour MP, has criticized Jeremy Corbyn for running a “sexist boys’ club” that excluded women from participating in the establishment of a new left-wing party they had announced earlier this year. Sultana claimed that despite an agreement for her and Corbyn to jointly authorize key steps, she had been pushed aside by other members of the party’s working group. The controversy arose after supporters of the new party received an email offering £55 memberships, which Corbyn later disavowed as “unauthorized,” stating that he was seeking legal counsel.
Prior to making her statement, Sultana had been promoting the signing up for full membership at a cost of £55 on social media. She announced that over 20,000 individuals had already registered, potentially raising over £1 million in a single morning for the new party. Sultana expressed her disappointment at being excluded from the decision-making process and criticized the lack of gender balance within the Working Group, where women with voting rights were not allowed to participate, contrary to the agreement she and Corbyn had made.
In response to Sultana’s claims, Corbyn issued a statement signed by other members of the Independent Alliance of MPs, who are part of founding the new party, excluding Sultana from the list. The statement addressed an “unauthorized email” that had been sent to supporters regarding a membership portal under a new domain name. Despite the controversy, Sultana defended her actions in setting up the membership portal, stating it was done in accordance with the roadmap provided to members earlier and ensuring the funds were securely held until the party’s founding conference in November.
The dispute within the new party has caused concern among left-wing supporters, with some expressing reluctance to join due to the early fragmentation. Guardian journalist Owen Jones warned that continued divisions could lead people to lose interest and turn to other political alternatives, such as supporting the Green Party. Despite the initial challenges, the new party, initially referred to as Your Party, gained momentum by attracting over 750,000 supporters. Plans were in place for membership to open by the end of September, followed by the release of draft party rules and policy positions, national assemblies in October, and an online vote on the party’s final name. The founding conference is set to take place in November, marking a significant milestone for the new political entity
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.