Adnan Hussain, the independent MP for Blackburn, has resigned from Your Party, the left-wing organisation led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, citing “persistent infighting and a struggle for power”. His departure follows renewed tensions between Corbyn and Sultana over the transfer of £850,000 in membership levies and donations.
In a statement on X, Hussain said he had hoped the party would be based on “a commitment to equality, justice and anti-racism”, but instead found a “toxic, exclusionary and deeply disheartening” environment. He also condemned what he described as “veiled prejudice” in the treatment of Muslim independent MPs, including “generalised accusations and offensive slurs”.
The row centres on MOU Operations Ltd, a company set up to hold membership fees and donations while Your Party lacked a formal structure. Sultana is the sole director of the company, which holds £850,000 that party officials say is urgently needed to fund a conference and pay staff. Sultana has argued that legal reasons prevent her from immediately transferring the funds, a claim disputed by Your Party sources, who say she “absolutely can do it and she should do it”.
Allies of Sultana criticised the timing of a statement issued on Thursday night by Corbyn, Hussain and two other independent MPs, accusing her of unnecessary delay. They suggested the statement, released just before Sultana appeared on BBC One’s Question Time, was intended to undermine her in a potential leadership contest against Corbyn. Your Party sources denied this, saying the funds were “desperately needed”.
Hussain’s resignation is the latest blow to Your Party, which has been plagued by internal disputes since its formation. Observers have noted that Hussain and other independent MPs with socially conservative views may have been an awkward fit with the organisation founded by Corbyn and Sultana. Hussain said he had not been prepared for the “very serious and damaging internal disputes” over the party’s structure and organisation.
