Adnan Hussain, a Blackburn independent MP and founding member of Jeremy Corbyn's new project, has resigned from the steering group of Your Party, citing a 'toxic' culture, clique-like behaviour and alleged mistreatment of Muslim men. His exit followed a joint statement criticising co-founder Zarah Sultana for transferring only £200,000 of a reported £800,000 held by MoU Operations Ltd. Founders say the funds are essential for the 29 November founding conference in Liverpool and vow to pursue the remainder; Sultana's team says further payments will follow once legal liabilities are resolved.
Founder MP Adnan Hussain Quits Corbyn's 'Your Party' Over 'Toxic' Culture and Funding Dispute
Adnan Hussain, a Blackburn independent MP and founding member of Jeremy Corbyn's new project, has resigned from the steering group of Your Party, citing a 'toxic' culture, clique-like behaviour and alleged mistreatment of Muslim men. His exit followed a joint statement criticising co-founder Zarah Sultana for transferring only £200,000 of a reported £800,000 held by MoU Operations Ltd. Founders say the funds are essential for the 29 November founding conference in Liverpool and vow to pursue the remainder; Sultana's team says further payments will follow once legal liabilities are resolved.
02:14 AM, 11/15/2025Politics
Independent MP withdraws from steering group amid accusations of infighting and prejudice
Adnan Hussain, the Blackburn independent MP who helped launch Jeremy Corbyn's new left-wing project, has announced he is stepping away from the movement's steering group, currently operating under the name Your Party. Hussain cited a 'toxic' internal culture, clique-like behaviour and troubling treatment of Muslim men as reasons for his resignation.
'Regrettably, the reality I encountered has been far from this vision. The culture surrounding the party has become dominated by persistent infighting, factional competition and a struggle for power, position and influence rather than a shared commitment to the common good,' Hussain wrote. 'Instead of openness, cooperation and outward focus, the environment has too often felt toxic, exclusionary and deeply disheartening.'
Hussain's departure came hours after he joined a joint statement criticising fellow founder Zarah Sultana for transferring only £200,000 from funds reported to total about £800,000. Those donations are held by a company, MoU Operations Ltd, which collected early contributions while the party was being formally registered.
Funding row jeopardises founding conference
The group of founders overseeing the launch — Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Zarah Sultana, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed — say the withheld funds are essential to stage the founding conference in Liverpool scheduled for 29 November, where delegates will decide the party's name, rules and leadership model. Insiders warned that without the money the party may have to reduce delegate numbers or scale back the event.
Sultana's team defended her actions, saying she remains legally responsible for running the company and that briefings about potential liabilities are overblown. A spokesperson said further instalments will be paid 'as soon as possible, as the legal details are ironed out' and that another £200,000 is scheduled for 19 November, with a final £200,000 due on 26 November.
The dispute adds to a series of public rows that have dogged the fledgling movement since its July launch, including disagreements over leadership, finances and the party's name. Hussain said he initially joined to help build 'a political home with mass appeal' and to challenge the rise of far-right rhetoric, but that the organisation's internal conflicts undermined that purpose.
What happens next
Founders who remain in the steering group have pledged to pursue the immediate transfer of the remaining funds and to resolve outstanding legal issues. The coming days will be critical for whether the conference can proceed as planned and whether the movement can contain the public infighting that has emerged during its formation.