Founding Members Accused of Withholding Critical Funds

A new left-wing political party in the United Kingdom, provisionally named Your Party, is preparing to take legal action against three of its own founders, according to sources within the party. The dispute centres on at least £800,000 (approximately KES 158 million) in supporter donations and membership data that are allegedly being withheld. The legal proceedings were reportedly initiated after a final deadline for the transfer of assets passed on the evening of Friday, 24 October 2025, EAT.

The funds and data are currently held by MoU Operations Ltd, a company directed by Andrew Feinstein, a former anti-apartheid activist; Jamie Driscoll, a former regional mayor; and Beth Winter, a former Member of Parliament. Figures close to the party's leadership, steered by former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, have accused the MoU directors of having “gone rogue” and holding the party’s resources hostage.

Details of the Dispute

According to party sources, an agreement was signed in July stipulating that MoU Operations Ltd would act as a temporary custodian for donations and data until Your Party was officially registered with the UK's Electoral Commission. The party achieved formal registration on 30 September 2025, at which point the assets were expected to be transferred to the new political entity. However, the funds and data remain in MoU's control, prompting the party to state it was “reluctantly” pursuing legal channels after “exhausting every possible alternative.”

The £800,000 was reportedly collected from supporter donations between early July and 17 September 2025. In a statement provided to The Guardian, the three directors of MoU—Feinstein, Driscoll, and Winter—refuted the claims, stating: “These allegations are factually incorrect and frankly nonsense. We will make a full statement when we have time.”

Impact on Party Launch and Global Political Lessons

This internal conflict threatens to overshadow the party's inaugural national conference scheduled for next month in Liverpool, where members are expected to approve a constitution and elect a leadership executive. A source involved in the conference planning warned that the lack of access to funds and supporter data could force the party to reduce the number of delegates invited.

For political observers in Kenya and across East Africa, the situation at Your Party serves as a powerful case study. The challenges of establishing transparent financial structures, ensuring legal compliance, and maintaining trust among founders are universal hurdles for nascent political movements. Disputes over the control of party funds and membership data are common sources of friction that can derail a party before it gains momentum. The reliance on interim legal entities like MoU Operations Ltd highlights the critical importance of clear, legally binding agreements in the formative stages of any political organization.

The controversy also underscores the deep internal fractures within a movement that aimed to provide a new alternative for the British left. The dispute is further complicated by an earlier, unauthorized launch of a membership portal in September, which prompted the party to refer itself to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office, an independent data protection authority. This ongoing investigation adds another layer of legal complexity to the ownership and transfer of supporter data.

Key Figures in the Controversy

The conflict pits two distinct groups against each other. On one side are the party's public faces, Jeremy Corbyn, who led the UK's main opposition Labour Party from 2015 to 2020, and Zarah Sultana, a serving Member of Parliament. On the other are the three directors of MoU Operations Ltd: Andrew Feinstein, a South African-born author and former African National Congress (ANC) politician known for his anti-apartheid activism; Jamie Driscoll, the popular former North of Tyne mayor; and Beth Winter, a former Labour MP for Cynon Valley. These three were instrumental in shaping the party's initial structure before the relationship with the leadership deteriorated.