Corbyn defends ally as Your Party feud continues

Jeremy Corbyn has defended a key ally after she was singled out by Zarah Sultana as part of the bitter feud at the top of their fledgling party.

He said he was “appalled” at the criticism aimed at long-standing ally Karie Murphy and acknowledged the process of founding the party had been “difficult” in recent days.

Meanwhile, Ms Sultana said she had instructed “specialist defamation lawyers” following the row over her push for members to sign up to Your Party, the political outfit she established with Mr Corbyn.

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Mediate

The organisation handling donations and membership money said it had attempted “for some weeks” to mediate between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana.

The divisions between them were laid bare on Thursday after a message encouraging members to sign up was disowned by Mr Corbyn.

Ms Sultana, who claimed she had faced a “sexist boys’ club” said members would not accept “Karie Murphy and her associates having sole financial control of members’ money and sole constitutional control over our conference”.

At an event for his Peace and Justice Project 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.”

Mr Corbyn said the process of setting up the party “has been – you are obviously aware of it – quite difficult over the last few days”.

“But I am absolutely determined this party will be founded, this party will have its founding conference in November. This party will be open, democratic and grassroots-based, and will be a party that enthuses, excites and mobilises people in their community to achieve a better thing in their community.”

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'Defamatory statements'

In her latest salvo, published on social media late on Friday night, Ms Sultana said 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 ringfenced 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.”

On Thursday morning, an invite went out to supporters of the outfit, so far described as “Your Party” in its campaign material, although this is intended as a holding name, inviting them to sign up officially and give it financial backing.

But Mr Corbyn described this as an “unauthorised email” and warned people in a statement posted on social media not to sign up via the link and to 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.

The organisation handling the party’s donations – MOU Operations Ltd – said it had sought to resolve disputes between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana.

'Incredibly disappointed'

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.

“In the spirit of openness, we have to disclose that we have tried to mediate between Jeremy and Zarah for some weeks now.

“We have raised concerns about the breakdown of trust, poor communication, inadequate governance and lack of transparency.”

Meanwhile, a group of left-wing activists calling themselves Our Party has urged the six MPs to step aside and hand the founding of the new party over to its members.

In an open letter, the group called for the appointment of a “handover committee” independent of the MPs, to establish a membership system and oversee the election of a “founding stewards committee” that will formally set up the new party.

Ms Sultana said she supported Our Party’s call, saying it was “what I’ve been fighting for from the start”.