Met police investigating row over founding of Your Party

The investigation concerns an alleged breach involving a political party’s database. Police have not named the party in their public statement, but sources told the Guardian it was connected to the dispute over Your Party’s founding and membership system. The case matters because membership databases contain information about people who support or join a political organisation.

The dispute began after Zarah Sultana unveiled a membership portal in September and asked supporters to pay £55. Jeremy Corbyn called it a “false membership system” and told supporters to ignore a funding email. The ICO later said the launch may have involved “serious criminal activity” and advised referring it to police.

A man was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and released pending further inquiries. Police had also interviewed a woman in her 30s under caution. Neither has been charged, and neither Corbyn nor Sultana was accused of wrongdoing. The investigation continues.

“Unauthorised access” generally means entering a computer system or database without the permission required by its owner or administrator. It can include viewing information, copying records, changing data, or using credentials in a way the system owner did not allow. The article does not establish exactly what happened in this case.

The alleged database could have contained membership or supporter information. That makes the issue sensitive, especially because the dispute involved a new membership portal and requests for payments. The ICO said the portal launch may have involved “serious criminal activity” and referred the matter to police, according to the article.

Under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, unauthorised access can be a criminal offence. The exact offence would depend on the evidence, permissions, and actions involved. Police arrested a man on suspicion of such an offence, then released him pending inquiries. He has not been charged, and the investigation continues.

Jeremy Corbyn was the former Labour leader, and Zarah Sultana was a former Labour MP. Both helped found Your Party in summer 2025 and later sat as Your Party MPs in the House of Commons. Their involvement gave the new organisation two prominent political centres from the beginning.

Tension grew when Sultana launched a membership portal on X in September and encouraged people to pay £55. Corbyn rejected it as a “false membership system” and told supporters to ignore an email requesting funds. Sultana said she wanted to protect grassroots involvement and later accused the party of being run by a “sexist boys’ club”.

The disagreement was therefore not only personal. It involved who could organise members, collect money, and shape the party’s future. Corbyn and Sultana were not accused of wrongdoing in the police investigation. However, their competing supporters formed rival factions, leaving Your Party divided while it was still being established.

The result shows a serious but uneven internal division. Corbyn-backed candidates won 14 of the 24 available places on Your Party’s central executive committee. That is more than half the seats, giving his side control of the committee. Sultana-backed candidates won seven seats, while three went to independents.

The figures show that Corbyn’s faction was stronger, but Sultana’s group still secured almost one-third of the committee. The independent seats also mattered because they were not aligned with either named faction. This was not a narrow contest with one side winning every position. It produced a dominant bloc alongside a sizeable rival presence.

The leadership result reinforced Corbyn’s position. In February, he won a comprehensive victory to become the party’s de facto leader. Sultana was also elected to the leadership committee under the collective leadership model. The split therefore remained visible inside the organisation, even after Corbyn-backed candidates took most executive seats.

A finding of unlawful access could have consequences beyond the immediate police case. The people involved might face charges under the Computer Misuse Act, depending on the evidence and prosecutors’ decisions. Your Party could also face pressure to explain how its systems were protected and how membership information was handled.

The dispute already concerns a membership portal, a funding request, and competing claims about which system was legitimate. Your Party said its systems were secure and described the incident as isolated. If investigators reach a different conclusion, members may question whether their information and payments were safe. The ICO could also assess data-protection issues, although the article does not predict a further sanction.

For now, no one has been charged. The arrested man was released pending further inquiries, and a woman was interviewed under caution. Neither Corbyn nor Sultana was accused of wrongdoing. Any criminal or regulatory consequences would depend on the continuing investigation and evidence gathered.

The Metropolitan police handle the criminal-investigation side of the case. They received a report in September 2025 about alleged unauthorised access to a political party’s database. Officers arrested a man under suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act and interviewed a woman under caution.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has a different focus. It deals with the handling and protection of personal information. In January, it advised that although it was taking no further action over the Your Party membership portal launch, the matter may have involved “serious criminal activity” and should be referred to police. That referral connects regulatory concerns with possible criminal conduct.

The two bodies can therefore perform separate roles in the same incident. Police gather evidence about suspected offences, while the ICO considers information-handling responsibilities. The article says the police investigation continues. It does not state that either Corbyn or Sultana is under investigation or that the party has been charged.

A political party is generally founded when people create an organisation, agree its aims, establish leadership arrangements, and build systems for members and money. Governance then depends on rules, elected committees, and clear authority over official communications. The article gives Your Party’s founding date and leadership contest, but does not describe its formal legal registration process.

Your Party’s dispute shows the practical risks. Sultana launched a membership portal and asked people to pay £55, while Corbyn said it was a “false membership system”. The party later held elections for a central executive committee, with Corbyn-backed, Sultana-backed, and independent candidates. These events raised questions about who could speak for the party and collect membership payments.

Accountability also involves protecting members’ personal information and cooperating with oversight. The ICO reviewed the portal issue, and police investigated alleged database access. Your Party said its systems were secure and the incident isolated. The case shows why parties need transparent procedures, secure systems, and clear responsibility for fundraising and member data.