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Zarah Sultana now has sole control of over £800,000 of Your Party donations following a fresh internal fallout.

Sky News understands she has assured co-leader Jeremy Corbyn the money will be transferred to the party as a whole.

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However that is yet to happen, frustrating some Your Party figures who have been trying to access the funds for weeks, in a situation one source described as “an insane mess”.

There has been a major row behind the scenes with the previous custodians of the donations – former Labour MP Beth Winter, former Labour mayor Jamie Driscoll and former South African politician Andrew Feinstein.

The trio were the directors of a company called MoU Operations, which was set up in April to support an independent alliance of MPs centred around former Labour leader Mr Corbyn.

When Your Party was launched in July, its privacy policy stated that donations would be collected by MoU until the new movement was formally constituted and had its own bank account.

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Your Party was registered with the electoral commission on 30 September, when it declared assets of £850,000, but no transfer of funds was made despite repeated requests from senior figures to MoU, seen by Sky News.

The row reached boiling point this week as Your Party sources said they were considering legal action. Sky News understands lawyers had drafted a ‘letter before action’ to send to MoU, putting them on notice of court proceedings, before the three directors broke their silence and quit on Wednesday night.

In a lengthy statement, the trio said the role of holding donations was “thrust upon” them and the company had been “repeatedly been used without our agreement”. They said a transfer of funds had been further complicated by Ms Sultana’s unauthorised membership launch last month, which left MoU vulnerable to liabilities.

‘Totally undemocratic’

The group said that since the end of September, they have been asking Your Party to take complete ownership and control of MoU, but this was refused.

Ms Sultana taking the reins was aimed at breaking the impasse. However one Your Party source told Sky News it is “only a resolution if Zarah transfers the money to the Your Party bank account”.

Another Your Party source pointed to a statement she made on social media on Wednesday night, in which she said the MoU resources “will now be used for Your Party as was always intended”.

The source said: “Zarah created this utter mess then poses as coming to the rescue, but she didn’t actually say she would transfer it in her statement.

“Imagine if this was the Labour Party and one MP had control of the funds. It’s totally undemocratic.”

A source close to Ms Sultana said that legal formalities are being concluded and the cash will “100%” be moved over as soon as practically possible, stressing there is no deliberate delay.

Sky News understands she was willing to take on risks associated with MoU to get the issue resolved before the founding conference next month.

The row, which also relates to data, is deeply damaging for a party that had promised to revive the British left but has so far been marred by chaos and division.

Ms Sultana announced the new party in early July in a move that appeared to catch Mr Corbyn off guard – with the official launch coming weeks later.

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Can Your Party get it together?

Botched membership launch comes back to haunt Your Party

On 18 September, she sent an email to supporters asking them to become a paid member for £5 a month or £55 a year, which Mr Corbyn said was unauthorised. The website had a different domain name to Your Party’s website, though it looked similar, and said it was being managed by MoU, which received the membership fees.

However neither MoU nor Ms Sultana was the owner of the data of those who received the email, which was being managed by Mr Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project. The matter was referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and an investigation is still ongoing.

The money collected by MoU in membership fees is not expected to be transferred to Your Party as those people who paid are entitled to a refund – a process Ms Sultana will now have to manage.

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Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, addresses protesters during a Stop Trump Coalition on 17 September 2025. Pic: PA
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Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, addresses protesters during a Stop Trump Coalition on 17 September 2025. Pic: PA

Some 20,000 people signed up to Ms Sultana’s portal but Your Party still does not have access to their emails, meaning there is no way of contacting them.

‘Lack of governance at top of Your Party’

Your Party had been requesting the transfer of this too, but MoU’s outgoing directors suggested this would breach GDPR regulations.

In their statement, they said they had no involvement in the “confused membership launch” and they could not “accept personal liability for actions that were taken without our knowledge or approval”.

“Nor could we agree to a proposed ‘resolution’ that put MOU at risk of having liabilities exceeding its assets,” they added.

The group also claimed they raised concerns about the “lack of appropriate governance” of Your Party ever since its launch and “tried many times to hand over everything to Your Party, lock, stock and barrel”.

They said they wanted to find a resolution behind the scenes but have repeatedly been subject to “hostile briefings”.

“In simple terms, we offered to hand over ownership to Your Party, and make the six Your Party MPs directors in our place, giving them full control. Only one of the six was willing to agree,” the statement said.

“We will have no further involvement with MOU. We want nothing for ourselves. We have taken no money or benefit in kind.”

Your Party has not released a statement of its own.

But Ms Sultana paid tribute to her predecessors on X, saying they have been “patient, constructive and consistently sought to resolve matters diplomatically”.

She said: “Thank you for your patience – this brings the chapter to a close and these resources will now be used for Your Party, as was always intended.”

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Starmer urges anyone with information on Epstein case to come forward – after Andrew misses Congress deadline

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Starmer urges anyone with information on Epstein case to come forward - after Andrew misses Congress deadline

Sir Keir Starmer has urged anyone with information on the Jeffrey Epstein case to come forward after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor missed the deadline to appear in front of US Congress.

US legislators have criticised Andrew for what they describe as “silence” amid their probe into Epstein after he failed to respond to their request for an interview.

When asked about Andrew missing the deadline and whether the former prince should help the case in any way he can, Sir Keir said on his way to the G20 summit in South Africa: “I don’t comment on this particular case.”

He added that “a general principle I’ve held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it”.

Andrew is not legally obliged to talk to Congress and has always vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

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Sir Keir Starmer spoke to reporters on his way to the G20 in South Africa. Pic: Reuters
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Sir Keir Starmer spoke to reporters on his way to the G20 in South Africa. Pic: Reuters

It comes as Marjorie Taylor Greene, a loyal supporter-turned-critic of US President Donald Trump, said on Friday she is resigning from Congress in January.

Ms Greene’s resignation followed a public falling-out with Mr Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticised him for his stance on files related to Epstein, as well as on foreign policy and healthcare.

Members of the House Oversight Committee had requested a “transcribed interview” with Andrew in connection with his “long-standing friendship” with Epstein, the paedophile financier who took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.

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Releasing the Epstein files: How we got here

But after saying they had not heard back, Democrats Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam accused Andrew of hiding.

Their statement read: “Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s silence in the face of the Oversight Democrat’s demand for testimony speaks volumes.

“The documents we’ve reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide.

“Our work will move forward with or without him, and we will hold anyone who was involved in these crimes accountable, no matter their wealth, status, or political party. We will get justice for the survivors.”

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The new Epstein files: The key takeaways

It follows Andrew being stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles earlier this month.

He had previously agreed to stop using his titles, but had expected to remain a prince and retain his dukedom, ahead of the publication of the memoirs of the late Ms Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager – an accusation he denies.

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Girl, 13, arrested on suspicion of murdering woman in Swindon

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Girl, 13, arrested on suspicion of murdering woman in Swindon

A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in Swindon.

Police said the teenager was detained following an incident in Baydon Close, Moredon, in the Wiltshire town on Friday evening.

Officers responded to reports of disorder inside a house. When they arrived, a woman in her 50s living at the address was found to be not breathing. She was declared dead at the scene.

There were no other reported injuries.

Forensic officers are at the scene to collect evidence
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Forensic officers are at the scene to collect evidence

Detective Inspector Darren Ambrose, from Wiltshire Police’s major crime investigation team, said: “This is a serious incident in which a woman has sadly died.

“We have set up a cordon at the address while an investigation is carried out.

“I can confirm that we have arrested a teenage girl in connection with this incident and we are not looking for anyone else.”

Police have asked people not to speculate about the incident online as this could prejudice the case.

A police statement read: “Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we continue carrying out our enquiries into the woman’s death.

“The suspect remains in custody at this time.”

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Police said anyone with concerns should speak with their local neighbourhood policing team, either by emailing or approaching officers in person.

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Rail fares to be frozen for first time in 30 years

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Rail fares to be frozen for first time in 30 years

Rail fares are to be frozen for the first time in 30 years, the government has announced.

Ministers promised that millions of rail travellers will save hundreds of pounds on regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns between major cities.

The fare freeze applies to England and services run by English train operators.

People commuting to work three days a week using flexi-season tickets will save £315 a year travelling from Milton Keynes to London, £173 travelling from Woking to London and £57 from Bradford to Leeds, the government said.

The changes are part of Labour’s plans to rebuild a publicly owned Great British Railways. Other planned changes include tap in-tap out and digital ticketing, as well as investing in superfast Wi-Fi.

The freeze applies to regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns. Pic: iStock
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The freeze applies to regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns. Pic: iStock

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government was introducing a freeze on rail fares for the first time in 30 years, which “will ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier”.

“We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so we’re freezing fares to help millions of passengers save money,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

“Commuters on more expensive routes will save more than £300 per year, meaning they keep more of their hard-earned cash.”

Rail unions and passenger groups welcomed the move, praising how it will make travel more affordable for passengers and promote more sustainable travel alternatives.

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Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: “More affordable fares will encourage greater use of public transport, supporting jobs, giving a shot in the arm to local economies and helping to improve the environment.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the rail fare freeze “will be a huge relief to working people”.

“This is the right decision, at the right time, to help passengers be able to afford to make that journey they need to take, and to help grow our railway in this country, because the railway is Britain’s green alternative – taking cars and lorries off our congested roads and moving people and goods safely around our country in an environmentally-friendly way,” Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers union Aslef, said.

The Tories welcomed the move but said the government was “late to the platform”.

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said: “In government, the Conservatives kept fares on the right track with below-inflation rises and consistently called for no further hikes to protect hard-working commuters.”

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