ICO Advises Police Examination into Zarah Sultana’s Your Party Membership Portal Launch
The Information commissioner’s Office (ICO) has indicated that the unauthorized launch of a membership portal by Zarah Sultana for Your Party may constitute “serious criminal activity” and should be referred too law enforcement. This growth follows a referral from Jeremy corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project (PJP) last September,alleging a potential data breach.
The dispute centers on an email sent to approximately 800,000 individuals on Your Party’s mailing list in September, soliciting £55 membership fees.Sultana, a prominent figure within the party, publicly announced the new membership portal on X (formerly Twitter), encouraging supporters to join and assuring them the site was “safe and secure” despite reported technical difficulties.
Corbyn swiftly responded with an “urgent message” on X, directing his followers to disregard the “unauthorized” site and stating that “legal advice is being taken.” This public disagreement highlighted a significant rift between the two leaders.
Following the PJP’s referral, the ICO initially determined it lacked jurisdiction in the matter. However, guidance – initially reported by New Statesman – advised the PJP, which serves as the data controller for Your Party, to escalate the issue to Action Fraud (now known as Report Fraud) and the police. According to the ICO, a police investigation would take precedence should evidence of criminal activity be uncovered.
“after reviewing the information provided, we have assessed that formal ICO involvement is not required at this time,” a spokesperson for the ICO stated.
On Friday, Sultana released a statement claiming the ICO had “dropped the case around the Your Party membership portal.” In a post on X, she expressed confidence that the inquiry would conclude without further action, stating, “I always anticipated that this inquiry would conclude with no further action and I am pleased that everyone can now draw a line under the matter.”
Sultana then pivoted to the party’s upcoming leadership contest, outlining her vision for a decisive break from “Labour right tactics,” increased member empowerment, and the building of a “mass movement for socialism.” she emphasized the party’s growth, noting its current membership of 60,000 – the largest socialist party in the UK since the 1940s – and pledged continued collaboration with Corbyn and other party members.
“I will continue working closely with Jeremy and comrades across the movement to build on our 60,000 members – the largest socialist party in the UK since the 1940s. Let’s get to work,” Sultana wrote.
Your Party declined to provide a comment on the matter.
Here’s a substantive news report answering the “Who, What, Why, and How” of the situation:
ICO Concludes Inquiry into sultana’s Your Party Membership Portal, Referral to Police Remains possible
London, UK – The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has concluded its initial inquiry into the unauthorized launch of a membership portal by Zarah Sultana for Your Party, a socialist political organization. The ICO’s decision, announced Friday, follows a referral from Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project (PJP) in September 2023, which alleged a potential data breach stemming from an email sent to approximately 800,000 individuals soliciting £55 membership fees.
What happened? Sultana publicly announced the new membership portal on X (formerly Twitter), encouraging supporters to join despite reported technical issues. Corbyn quickly countered, directing followers to ignore the “unauthorized” site and stating legal advice was being sought, creating a public rift between the two leaders. The PJP, acting as the data controller for Your Party, formally referred the matter to the ICO.
Why did the ICO get involved? The PJP raised concerns that the launch of the
