‘Diplomatic efforts’ under way to settle Your Party row

“Diplomatic efforts” are under way to settle the row that has engulfed Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fledgling party, the PA news agency has been told.

Sources close to the pair are seeking to mediate behind the scenes to salvage the future of the as-yet unnamed political venture, it is understood.

It comes after Ms Sultana said on Thursday she had been subjected to a “sexist boys’ club” amid a dispute over a new membership system.

On Thursday morning an invite went out to supporters of the outfit, so far described as “Your Party” in its campaign material, inviting them to officially sign up 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.

The former Labour leader and Independent MP for Islington North also said “legal advice is being taken” over the message, which featured the names of four other Independent MPs who have set up an ad-hoc parliamentary group with Mr Corbyn.

They are Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohammed and Shockat Adam.

Any direct debits should be “immediately cancelled”, Mr Corbyn’s message said.

In turn, Coventry South MP Ms Sultana said: “After being sidelined by the MPs named in today’s statement and effectively frozen out of the official accounts, I took the step of launching a membership portal so that supporters could continue to engage and organise.”

Despite Mr Corbyn’s warning, she insisted supporters of Your Party should “sign up now” as the portal was a “safe, secure, legitimate” means of becoming a member of the party.

Ms Sultana added: “My sole motivation has been to safeguard the grassroots involvement that is essential in building this party.

“Unfortunately I have been subjected to what can only be described as a sexist boys’ club: I have been treated appallingly and excluded completely.”

Later on Thursday, the party said it had reported itself to the UK’s data protection watchdog over the morning email, claiming that a “false membership system has been unilaterally launched”.

It said data had been collected and payments taken and that the data controller had flagged the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office, citing its “responsibilities to our supporters and duties under the law”.

The party said the developments were a “blow for everyone who has put their hope in a real alternative” and that Ms Sultana “has not been excluded from any discussions”.

The row over whether the membership portal is legitimate is the latest in a series of disagreements between the two MPs over the direction of the party, which is yet to hold an annual conference or decide on an official name.

Earlier this year, Ms Sultana announced she would be setting up the new left-wing political party with Mr Corbyn before he appeared ready to confirm this was the case.

Ms Sultana has also reportedly clashed with Independent MP for Blackburn Mr Hussain over their different views on trans rights.

The party had begun to build momentum with more than 750,000 supporters signed up since its launch earlier this year under the placeholder name of Your Party, according to Ms Sultana.

But opponents on Thursday also highlighted a Companies House listing that showed Mr Corbyn ceased to be a person with significant control of Your Party UK Ltd on September 15.

It is understood that this is because of the former Labour leader falling below the threshold as other Independent MPs became directors.

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.

They said: “800,000 people had faith that something could be different.

“If these six MPs want to be worthy of that faith, it’s time to hand over the reins of this founding process to the party’s supporters.

“This isn’t just about you.

“It’s about all of us.”

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