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Zarah Sultana has leveled serious accusations against prominent individuals involved in the new political party she is establishing alongside Jeremy Corbyn, alleging that they are conducting a “witch hunt” aimed at removing left-wing activists. Sultana chose not to attend the inaugural day of the party’s founding conference, which is currently operating under the name Your Party, after several members with ties to the Socialist Workers Party were expelled. According to party officials, these expulsions were due to violations of membership rules that prohibit belonging to any other political party, either in the UK or internationally.
In an interview with the BBC, Sultana revealed that one of her staff members was also denied access to the conference through a pass, although Your Party representatives denied any political motivations behind this decision. A spokesperson for Sultana described the situation as “indefensible,” emphasizing the necessity for a party that embraces all socialists. When questioned by the BBC about whether she stood by her claim of a witch hunt, Sultana responded, “Absolutely.” She further criticized the behavior reminiscent of the Labour Party’s internal culture, describing it as “a toxic culture we’re not seeking to replicate here.” She accused unnamed bureaucrats of working covertly to expel members without any vote from the wider party membership. Sultana contended that members of other political groups should not be forced to choose between their existing affiliations and joining Your Party.
Your Party’s spokesperson defended the expulsions, stating that members who also belonged to another national political party had breached clear membership guidelines, and these rules were consistently enforced. They emphasized the goal of facilitating a democratic founding conference involving thousands of members engaged in debating and deciding on key issues. The statement underscored the party’s ambition to cultivate political engagement from the grassroots level rather than following traditional top-down approaches.
During his speech at the conference, Jeremy Corbyn acknowledged that mistakes had been made during the party’s challenging formation process, which has been marked by conflict, including Sultana frequently clashing with party officials and the recent resignations of two MPs, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed. The departures came within a week of each other and were attributed to internal tensions. Prior to leaving, both MPs signed a letter accusing Sultana of withholding approximately £800,000 in donations to Your Party, which were held by a company under her control named MoU Operations Ltd. While Sultana has transferred £600,000 to the party, she has assured that the remaining funds will be paid “as soon as possible, as the legal details are ironed out.” Corbyn stressed the importance of party unity, stating, “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 chants supporting Palestine, and encouraged members to “campaign forevermore for real socialism and real social justice.
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