The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into the bitter dispute surrounding the founding of Your Party, the left-wing party set up last year by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
A force spokesperson said the inquiry began after officers received a report in September 2025 “relating to the alleged unauthorised access of a political party’s database”. The spokesperson did not name the party concerned, but sources have linked the investigation to the long-running dispute connected to the establishment of Your Party.
Officers have arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. He was released pending further inquiries and has not been charged. A woman in her 30s has also been interviewed under caution in connection with the same investigation.
Neither the man nor the woman is an MP, and neither has been charged with any offence. Neither Mr Corbyn nor Ms Sultana has been accused of wrongdoing. “The investigation continues,” the police spokesperson added.
At a glance
- The Met says it received a report in September 2025 about the alleged unauthorised access of a political party’s database.
- A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, released pending further inquiries, and has not been charged.
- A woman in her 30s was interviewed under caution in connection with the same inquiry.
- Neither person is an MP, and neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Zarah Sultana is accused of any wrongdoing.
- The force has not publicly named the party, but sources link the case to the Your Party founding dispute.
How the dispute unfolded
- July 2025: Your Party is founded by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, who both go on to sit as Your Party MPs in the Commons. Relations between rival factions are strained from the outset.
- September 2025: Ms Sultana unveils a new membership portal on X and urges supporters to sign up as paying members for £55. Mr Corbyn denounces the site as a “false membership system” and tells supporters to ignore an email requesting funds. Ms Sultana says her only aim was to protect grassroots involvement in building the party, and later accuses the party of being run by a “sexist boys’ club”.
- September 2025: The Met receives the report concerning the alleged unauthorised access of a party database.
- January 2026: The Information Commissioner’s Office advises the party it will take no further action over the membership portal launch, but warns the episode may have involved “serious criminal activity” and should be referred to the police.
- February 2026: Mr Corbyn wins a decisive victory to become the party’s de facto leader. His backers take 14 of the 24 seats on the central executive committee, with seven going to Sultana supporters and three to independents. Ms Sultana is voted on to the party’s leadership committee.
- October 2026: The Met confirms a criminal investigation is under way, with one arrest and one interview under caution so far.
Party responds
A Your Party spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment any further about ongoing police investigations.” The party also sought to reassure members that its systems were secure and described the episode as an isolated incident.
What happens next
The man was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, the law that criminalises unauthorised access to computer material. He has been released pending further inquiries, allowing officers to continue gathering evidence before deciding how to proceed. No charges have been brought against anyone in connection with the inquiry, and the Met says its investigation is continuing.
It is not the first computer-misuse case with London links to make headlines this year: German police recently arrested a suspect over the hack that crippled blood testing at London hospitals.
The Met’s inquiry is one of several live investigations across the capital. In Stratford, officers recently sealed off West Ham Lane as forensic teams moved in, while in the courts three men were jailed for the knifepoint robbery of a £140,000 watch in Mayfair.
