Far Left Funding in the UK

Last updated: 6 June 2026 (refreshed with Q1 2026 data)

Overview

Unlike the UK's populist right - where a small cohort of billionaires and dark-money vehicles has funnelled hundreds of millions into parties, think tanks and media - the British far left is primarily funded through trade union political levies, small member subscriptions, reader co-operatives and crowdfunding. There is no left-wing equivalent of Arron Banks, Christopher Harborne or Jeremy Hosking. The largest single source of money flowing to left-of-Labour causes remains the trade union political fund system, which in 2024-25 saw the major unions collectively disburse tens of millions to Labour and allied causes.

The transparency picture is patchy: registered parties must report donations over £7,500 to the Electoral Commission, but unregistered campaign groups, media outlets and think tanks operate with far less disclosure. Historical allegations of Soviet-bloc, Russian or Iranian funding of far-left factions have periodically surfaced - some substantiated, most denied and largely unsubstantiated in the post-Cold War era.

2025-26 developments: The formation of Your Party (Corbyn/Sultana, registered September 2025) has introduced new funding dynamics, with an £800,000 donation row exposing governance fractures. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, with allegations of Iranian funding denied by the group. Unite's 40% funding cut to Labour in March 2026 (£580,000 reduction) marks the deepest rift between the party and its largest union backer in decades. Electoral Commission data shows total UK party donations of £65m in Q4 2025 and £24.7m in Q1 2026.

This file tracks funding sources, donor patterns and financial controversies across the British far left: Trotskyist sects, Communist groups, hard-left Labour factions, radical media, and the union machinery that underwrites much of it.

1. Trade Union Political Funds — The Engine Room

Trade unions remain the single largest source of left-wing political money in Britain. Under the Trade Union Act 2016 (passed by the Cameron government), members must actively opt in to their union's political fund - a change designed to reduce the automatic flow of cash to Labour. Most big unions retained strong opt-in rates.

Key union political funds (2024-25 cycle)

Union	Political fund size (approx)	Main recipients	Notes
Unite	~£11m annual fund	Labour, community campaigns	Under Sharon Graham (elected 2021), cut affiliation fee to Labour from £35 to £21 per member; redirected ~£5m/yr away from party HQ into workplace organising
Unison	~£7m annual fund	Labour, anti-Tory campaigns	Largest public-sector union; political fund heavily weighted to Labour
GMB	~£4m annual fund	Labour	Under Gary Kent/leadership, shifted right of Unite; historically more pro-Blairite but still major Labour donor
CWU	~£1.5m fund	Labour	Communication Workers Union; clashed with Starmer over Post Office/Horizon and BT pay
RMT	~£1m fund	Labour (reduced), TUSC	Mick Lynch era; historically the most left-wing major union; some funds to TUSC candidates
FBU	~£500k fund	Labour, TUSC	Fire Brigades Union; long-standing hard-left leadership
ASLEF	~£400k fund	Labour	Train drivers; affiliated to Palestine Solidarity Campaign
NEU	~£3m fund	Labour	National Education Union; formed 2017 merger of NUT + ATL
PCS	~£1m fund	Labour, left campaigns	Public and Commercial Services; Mark Serwotka leadership until 2024

Unite under Len McCluskey (2010-2021) was Labour's single largest donor - giving around £30m over that period. McCluskey backed Corbyn but clashed repeatedly with him over party democracy. Sharon Graham succeeded him in August 2021 and immediately signalled a pivot: reduced affiliation fees, demanded selection reform, threatened to fund independent left candidates against "Blairite" Labour incumbents.

Key controversy (2024-25): Unite reported only £131,000 in direct donations to Labour between January and March 2024 - a dramatic drop from previous years - reflecting Graham's decision to withhold the usual block grant amid frustrations with Starmer's leadership (source: PoliticsHome).

March 2026 escalation: Unite members voted 87% to cut Labour affiliation fees by 40% - from £1.45m to £870,000 annually - a reduction of £580,000. Triggered by Labour's handling of Birmingham bin strike (ongoing since 2023). General Secretary Sharon Graham accused Labour of "abandoning working people" and warned in September 2025 the union could be "forced to withdraw support entirely." 2025 already saw Labour receive the third-lowest union donation total on record. Cumulative historical donations: Unite £52.2m, Unison £43.8m, GMB £39m. Union to formally consult members on whether to remain affiliated to Labour ahead of next conference. (Sources: BBC News, The Telegraph, New Statesman - March 2026)

2. The Trotskyist Sects

Britain has an unusually dense ecosystem of Trotskyist parties, almost all of which operate as cadre organisations funded primarily through member subscriptions, newspaper sales and internal levies. None report significant external donations.

Socialist Workers Party (SWP)

Founded: 1950 (as Socialist Review Group); renamed 1977
Newspaper: Socialist Worker (weekly), International Socialism (quarterly journal)
Funding model: Member subscriptions + paper sales. Members pay "subs" (scaled by income, typically £8-£25/month). The party also runs annual Marxism festival (multi-day conference in London) which generates substantial income through ticket sales and bookshop revenue.
Donations: Rarely appears in Electoral Commission returns - small membership means most donations fall below the £7,500 reporting threshold.
Controversies: Internal democratic-centralist structure; 2013 "Comrade Delta" rape scandal caused mass membership exodus (estimates of 40-50% of membership leaving). Financial position weakened significantly post-2013.
Front groups/affiliations: Stand Up To Racism, Unite the Resistance, Defend the Right to Strike, various campus groups.

Socialist Party (England and Wales) — SPEW / Committee for a Workers' International

Founded: 1964 as Militant Tendency (entryist group within Labour); expelled 1983-92; rebranded Socialist Party 1997.
Newspaper: The Socialist (weekly), Socialism Today (monthly).
Funding: Member subs + paper sales + annual "Socialist Party Week" events.
Electoral activity: Leads the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) - an umbrella for left-of-Labour candidates, primarily in local elections.
TUSC funding: Funded primarily by RMT, FBU and PCS political funds, plus SPEW member donations. TUSC does not run in general elections since 2019 (agreed electoral pact with Corbyn's Labour).

Socialist Equality Party (SEP)

Founded: 1990s, successor to the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP).
WRP history: The WRP (led by Gerry Healy) collapsed in 1985 after revelations it had accepted funding from Libyan, Iraqi and other Middle Eastern regimes in exchange for positive coverage in its newspaper News Line. This is the most substantiated historical case of foreign state funding of the British far left.
SEP funding: Member subs, World Socialist Web Site donations. Tiny membership.

Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) — historical

The WRP scandal of 1985 remains the benchmark case of far-left foreign funding. Investigations revealed:

£500,000+ from the Libyan government under Gaddafi
Payments from Iraq (Ba'athist regime), Iran, Abu Dhabi, and Oman
Money laundered through the News Line printing operation
Key donor: Vanessa Redgrave (actress, WRP central committee member) used personal wealth and celebrity contacts to facilitate donations
The party split in 1985 and the WRP never recovered. Healy was expelled.

The WRP case is still cited by Conservative MPs and right-wing commentators when alleging foreign influence on the left - though no comparable scandal has been proven since.

3. Communist Party of Britain & The Morning Star

Communist Party of Britain (CPB)

Founded: 1988 (successor to the CPGB, which dissolved 1991)
Programme: Britain's Road to Socialism
Membership: ~1,500-2,000 (estimated)
Funding: Member subscriptions + Morning Star revenue + small donations

The Morning Star

Founded: 1930 as Daily Worker (CPGB organ)
Renamed: Morning Star in 1966
Ownership: People's Press Printing Society (PPPS) - a reader-owned co-operative since 1945
Funding model: Sales (circulation ~8,000-12,000 daily), advertising (limited), reader donations, annual "Morning Star Rally" fundraising drives.
Notable: The PPPS structure insulates the paper from direct party control, though editorial line closely follows CPB positions.
Controversy (2022-24): Accused of publishing pro-Russian content on Ukraine invasion; Star's editor and contributors defended editorial independence but some columnists departed over editorial direction.

The CPGB millions (historical)

When the Communist Party of Great Britain dissolved in 1991, it held assets worth an estimated £2.5m to £4m - primarily property at King Street, London (party HQ) and the Daily Worker / Morning Star printing infrastructure. The disposition of these assets remains contested among former members and successor groups (source: BBC 2012 investigation).

4. Workers Party of Britain (George Galloway)

Founded: December 2019 by George Galloway, following Labour's general election defeat
Electoral Commission registration: PP11382
Officers (2026): Leader George Galloway; Nominating Officer Edward Renyard; Treasurer Katherine Cremer
Key moment: February 2024 Rochdale by-election - Galloway won with 39.7% of the vote and a majority of 5,697, after Labour candidate Azhar Ali was disowned over comments about Israel/Palestine.

Funding

Electoral Commission returns show small donations - mostly below reporting threshold.
Galloway's personal income streams: TalkTV show (terminated March 2024 after Rochdale comments about Israel), Sputnik / Russian state media appearances (pre-2022), Press TV (Iranian state media) commentary work.
Controversy: Galloway's historical relationship with the Saddam Hussein regime (1990s-2000s) is well-documented - the Mariam Appeal (named after his daughter with Iraqi wife Amineh Abu Zayyad) received donations and in-kind support from Iraq. The Charity Commission investigated in 2007 and found Galloway had received payments from the regime via the Oil-for-Food programme - though not convicted of criminal wrongdoing.
2024-25: WPB lost the Rochdale seat at the July 2024 general election (Galloway came third). Party remains registered but has no parliamentary presence.

5. Momentum & The Corbyn Leadership (2015-2020)

Momentum

Founded: October 2015 by Jon Lansman (former Tony Benn aide) to sustain the energy of Corbyn's leadership campaign.
Structure: Mass-membership campaigning organisation, not a registered party.
Funding model: Small donations + membership fees (£25/year standard). Crowdfunders for specific campaigns.
Peak membership: ~40,000 (2017-18).
Current status: Membership significantly declined post-2020; Lansman stepped back from day-to-day leadership in 2023. Reorganised as more of a digital campaigning platform.
Controversy: Accused by Labour right of being a "party within a party" and of receiving coordinated trade union funding. In practice, Momentum's finances were modest - typically £500k-£1.5m annually at peak - small change by party standards.

Corbyn leadership funding

Corbyn's 2015 and 2016 leadership campaigns were funded primarily by small donations from Labour members and trade union political funds (particularly Unite under McCluskey).
John Mills (JML entrepreneur, Labour donor) was a key financial backer of the pro-Remain left - funded Labour Leave campaign in 2016 EU referendum.
David Sainsbury (Lord Sainsbury of Turville) - while not a Corbyn ally, was a major Labour donor who supported a more centrist "progressive" line; his giving to Labour totalled millions but he was often at odds with the Corbyn leadership.
Pro-Remain left donors: The left-of-Labour ecosystem received some funding from business figures who opposed Brexit - notably through Best for Britain and Open Britain campaigns, which drew donations from remain-inclined donors including Gina Miller and Sir Tom Hunter.

6. Sinn Féin — Irish Republican Left Funding

Sinn Féin operates on both sides of the Irish border and has a complex funding picture.

Northern Ireland (Stormont)

Sinn Féin is the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly (2022 onwards).
Stormont funding: Receives public funding as largest party - Financial Assistance for Political Parties (FAPP) scheme.
Donations: Sinn Féin does not report donations to the Electoral Commission in the same way as GB parties - NI had different rules until 2014, when donation reporting was finally introduced (with a 5-year confidentiality period that has now lapsed).
Controversy: Accusations that Sinn Féin benefited from IRA-linked funds during the Troubles - historically substantiated in part, but difficult to trace post-Good Friday Agreement.
Stormontgate (2002): Allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in Stormont; charges eventually dropped.

Republic of Ireland (Dáil)

Sinn Féin is the largest party in opposition (post-2020).
Funding: Party membership + public funding based on Dáil seats (leader's allowance + party development fund).
Controversy: Donations from Irish-American sources (notably NORAID) historically flowed to the republican movement in the 1970s-90s - primarily to prisoners' welfare and Sinn Féin infrastructure. This stream has largely dried up post-GFA.
2024 Irish general election: Sinn Féin underperformed expectations but remains largest opposition party.

GB operations

Sinn Féin does not contest UK parliamentary elections (abstentionist tradition applies to Westminster too - they wouldn't take seats if elected).
Small local election presence in Northern Ireland councils.

7. The Greens — Not Far Left, But Left-Adjacent Funding Issues

The Green Party of England and Wales sits left of Labour on most economic issues and shares donor overlap with the Corbyn movement.

Funding

Membership-driven: ~50,000 members (2024), paying £31-£93/year depending on income.
Donations: Electoral Commission returns show modest donations - typically £200k-£500k annually in reported donations.
2024 general election: Record 4 MPs elected (Caroline Lucas had been sole MP 2010-2024). Significant boost to Short Money and party infrastructure funding.
Big donors: Dale Vince (Ecotricity founder, Stroud-based green entrepreneur) - the largest single donor to the Green Party, having given £2m+ over multiple years. Vince is controversial on the left for his fracking gas extraction (via Ecotricity's sister company) but remains a reliable funder.
Paul Barber (former party treasurer) and other wealthy individual donors make up remainder.

Scottish Greens

Co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.
Controversy (2023-24): Kate Forbes cabinet appointment row; Cass Review position split; power-sharing deal with SNP (Bute House Agreement) collapsed August 2024. Funding primarily from membership and Holyrood public funding.

8. Radical Left Media — Who Funds Them?

Novara Media

Founded: 2011 by Aaron Bastani and James Butler
Model: Initially YouTube/podcast (TyskySour); now Patreon-supported + live events + merchandise.
Funding: Primarily Patreon donations (~£30k-£50k/month from supporters as of 2024) + live show revenue + some advertising.
2025 update: Approaching 15,000 paying supporters (Press Gazette, June 2025). YouTube growth driving subscriptions; expanded coverage of Northern England with new editor Craig Gent.
Transparency: Private company (Novara Media Ltd); accounts filed with Companies House show modest revenue. Bastani is director and majority shareholder.
Criticism: Accused by some left critics of being more a "content creator" operation than a political project; Bastani's personal lifestyle (restaurant visits, holidays) has drawn "champagne socialist" jibes from both right and left.

Double Down News

Founded: 2018 by Tom Goldman and others
Model: Video-focused left media; Patreon + YouTube.
Funding: Patreon (~£15k-£25k/month), crowdfunded specific projects, advertising revenue.
Key contributors: Owen Jones, Aaron Bastani, Novara crew, various activists.
Controversy: Some criticism for amplifying controversial figures; internal disputes over pay and editorial direction.

Owen Jones

Independent: Not tied to a specific media outlet; writes for The Guardian and operates a large YouTube channel.
Funding: Guardian column fees + YouTube ad revenue (1.8m+ subscribers) + live show ticket sales (tours UK venues).
Estimated income: £300k-£500k annually (private).
Controversy: Long-running disputes with SWP and other far-left groups over political positions; attacked physically by far-right thugs in 2013 (conviction secured).

Tribune Magazine

Founded: 1937 by Sir Stafford Cripps and George Strauss
Historical funders: Labour left figures, trade unions, individual donors
Current: Relaunched 2018 under Bhaskar Sunkara (Jacobin founder, US) ownership; UK edition edited by Ronan Burtenshaw.
Funding: Subscriptions (~£45/year), some trade union sponsorship (Unite historically), advertising, event revenue.
Status: Modest circulation (~5,000) but influential on the left.

Jacobin (US, UK presence)

Founder: Bhaskar Sunkara (also owns Tribune)
Model: Subscription-based magazine + Patreon + live events
Funding: ~$5m-10m annual revenue (US); UK operations are smaller.
Donors: Some foundation grants (Ford Foundation, Open Society historically) - controversial on the far left, which views foundation money as soft imperialist influence.

9. Campaign Groups & NGOs

Stop the War Coalition (StWC)

Founded: September 2001, opposing the Afghanistan invasion
Leadership: Long-time chair Andrew Murray (former Communist Party of Britain general secretary, later Unite chief of staff under McCluskey)
Funding: Member donations + trade union contributions (particularly Unite, PCS, FBU, RMT) + event fundraising.
Not a registered political party so doesn't file Electoral Commission returns.
Controversy: Accused by pro-Israel groups of being a "front" for Islamist and hard-left forces; StWC denies this and points to its broad coalition including CND, Muslim Association of Britain, and trade unions.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC)

Founded: 1982
Structure: Membership campaigning organisation, not a party
Funding: Membership fees (£20/year) + donations + trade union affiliation fees (ASLEF, PCS, Unite branches, FBU among affiliated unions).
Post-October 2023: Massive surge in membership and donations following Gaza conflict. Organised the largest UK demonstrations since anti-Iraq war marches (estimated 500,000+ on multiple marches in London, Oct 2023-2024).
Controversy: Faced government attempts to ban protests; some union affiliates (notably GMB under more right-wing leadership) withdrew affiliation over positions on Hamas.

People's Assembly Against Austerity

Founded: 2013
Conveners: Originally included MPs John McDonnell, Dennis Skinner, and union leaders
Funding: Trade union political funds (primary) + individual donations + event fundraising
Key unions: Unite, Unison, PCS, NEU, RMT, FBU
Status: Loosely organised; acts as an umbrella for anti-austerity campaigning rather than a structured organisation with central accounts.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

Founded: 1958
Funding: Membership + donations + some trade union affiliation.
Historical: Received Soviet funding allegations during Cold War (1980s) - specifically around the "World Peace Council" connections. The KGB archive materials released post-1991 showed some CND figures had been in contact with Soviet intelligence, though the extent of funding is disputed.
Joan Ruddock (CND chair 1981-85) was among those named in various allegations - she denied receiving direct funding.

Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)

Founded: 1988
Position: Centre-left think tank, not far left
Funding: Foundations (Joseph Rowntree, Esmee Fairbairn, Barrow Cadbury), trade unions, government contracts, corporate sponsorship (controversial).
Annual budget: ~£5m
Status: More associated with Blair-era New Labour than the Corbyn left, though employs some left-leaning researchers.

Compass

Founded: 2003 by Neal Lawson
Position: Centre-left campaigning group, pro-proportional representation, anti-hard-left on some issues
Funding: Membership + small donations + some foundation grants
Lawson controversy: Suspended from Labour in 2023 for tweeting "Tories" with lower-case t (alleged breach of party rules); case became free-speech cause célèbre.

Common Weal (Scotland)

Founded: 2013 by Jimmy Reid Foundation
Position: Pro-independence, left-of-SNP think tank
Funding: Individual donations + some trade union support + event revenue
Annual budget: ~£150k-£300k (small)
Director: Robin McAlpine

10. Alleged Foreign Funding

Historical Soviet-bloc funding

CPGB: Received substantial subsidies from the Soviet Union and East Bloc parties from the 1920s through the 1980s. Moscow Gold allegations were central to Cold War-era attacks on the British left.
Moscow Gold (1990): The final large Soviet payment to the CPGB - reportedly £1.7m - was intercepted and became a cause célèbre. The party was already collapsing.
WRP (see above): Libyan, Iraqi, Iranian state funding proven in 1985.
Arthur Scargill (NUM): Accused of accepting Libyan money during 1984-85 miners' strike. Allegations investigated but never proven. Scargill has always denied it; some NUM officials were alleged to have handled the payments.

Post-Cold War allegations

Russian funding: Since 2022 (Ukraine invasion), various Conservative politicians have alleged that far-left media and campaign groups receive Russian funding. No substantiated cases have been brought to date. The Morning Star has been accused of editorial alignment with Russian positions but not of receiving money.
Iranian funding: Galloway's historical Press TV work is well-documented but not illegal. Stop the War Coalition figures have appeared on Press TV but as commentators receiving fees, not as party operatives.
Chinese funding: Occasional allegations around academic and cultural organisations with left leanings; Confucius Institutes are the main documented channel of Chinese soft-money in UK universities - not specifically far-left.

The Rycroft Review (March 2026)

The independent review into foreign financial influence in UK politics, published March 2026, focused primarily on right-wing and Reform UK funding. Its recommendations included:

Cap on overseas donations: £100,000 per donor per year (effective 25 March 2026)
Ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties
Stronger transparency requirements for loans and shell-company donors

The left was largely unaffected by the review's findings - not because the left is clean, but because foreign funders have historically preferred backing right-wing causes where billionaire donors operate.

11. Pro-Brexit Left & The "Lexit" Donors

A small cluster of left-of-Labour figures supported Brexit in 2016 and received some funding from Eurosceptic business donors - though not from the main Leave.EU/Arron Banks operation.

Labour Leave

Founded: 2016 by John Mills (JML entrepreneur, long-time Labour donor) and Kate Hoey (then Labour MP)
Funding: Primarily Mills' own money; some small individual donations.
Controversy: Accused of coordinating with Vote Leave - some overlap in donors, but the two campaigns maintained formal separation.

Left-wing Brexit donors

John Mills: ~£500k+ to Labour Leave from personal fortune
Lord David Sainsbury: Actually funded anti-Brexit campaigns (not Brexit left)
Arron Banks (Leave.EU): Explicitly NOT allied with Lexit - Banks' donors were right-wing.

Trade union Brexiteers

Some unions backed Labour Leave positions - notably GMB under Tim Roache (before his 2021 resignation over bullying scandal) and sections of Unite. This was a minority position within the union movement.

12. The "Champagne Socialist" Question

A recurring critique of the British far left is the gap between rhetoric and lifestyle among prominent figures:

Aaron Bastani (Novara Media): Criticised for restaurant and travel posts on Instagram; "fully automated luxury communism" slogan became a meme for left critics.
Owen Jones: Property ownership, Guardian column fees, YouTube revenue; defended as legitimate work income.
John McDonnell: MP salary + speaking fees; relatively modest lifestyle by political standards.
George Galloway: Multiple marriages, luxury lifestyle, controversial income streams (TalkTV, Press TV, Sputnik); most scrutinised left figure for funding sources.

13. Key Figures Summary

Person / Entity	Role	Funding Connection
Len McCluskey	Unite GS 2010-21	Directed £30m+ to Labour; backed Corbyn
Sharon Graham	Unite GS 2021-	Slashed Labour funding; redirected to workplace organising
Jon Lansman	Momentum founder	Built £1m+/yr operation from small donations
John Mills	JML entrepreneur	Labour Leave funder; ~£500k personal
Dale Vince	Ecotricity	£2m+ to Green Party
George Galloway	WPB leader	Multiple state media income streams (historical)
Aaron Bastani	Novara Media	£30k-£50k/month Patreon
Andrew Murray	StWC chair, ex-Unite COS	Long-standing Communist, union-funded campaigning
Bhaskar Sunkara	Jacobin/Tribune owner	US foundation money + subscriptions
Vanessa Redgrave	WRP historical	Facilitated Middle Eastern funding in 1980s
Zarah Sultana	Your Party co-founder	Central to £800k MOU Operations donation row (2025)
Sharon Graham	Unite GS 2021-	Slashed Labour funding by 40% (£580k) in March 2026

14. Comparison: Far Left vs Far Right Funding

Dimension	Far Left	Far Right
Scale	~£50m-£100m/yr (including union funds)	~£170m+ 2021-2026
Primary source	Trade union political levies	Billionaire donors (Harborne, Hosking, Banks)
Foreign money	Historical (Soviet, Libyan) - minimal post-1991; Palestine Action proscribed 2025 over alleged Iran links	Active (US Koch, Russian, Gulf state links)
Transparency	Union accounts + Electoral Commission; Your Party MOU Operations gap (2025)	Significant dark money via think tanks/LLPs
Media	Small digital outlets (Novara ~15k supporters, DDN, Tribune)	GB News (£100m+), TalkTV, Telegraph ownership
Think tanks	IPPR, Common Weal, Compass (centre-left)	Tufton Street, CPS, Policy Exchange (multi-million)
Single-donor risk	Low - diffuse funding	Very high (3 Reform donors = 75% of income)
State media work	Galloway (historical)	Farage (£97k/mo GB News), Rees-Mogg, Anderson

15. Your Party (Corbyn/Sultana) — 2025

Founded: July 2025 by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, following their expulsions from Labour
Electoral Commission registration: 30 September 2025
Structure: Central Executive Committee leadership; founding conference scheduled for Liverpool, 29 November 2025

Funding

Initial donations: Tens of thousands of members signed up in first weeks, generating substantial small-donation income
£800,000 controversy (October-November 2025): Funds held by MOU Operations Ltd (company set up by Beth Winter, Jamie Driscoll, Andrew Feinstein in April 2025) became subject of public row between Corbyn and Sultana camps
Sultana's membership portal (September 2025): Launched via official Your Party email, took payments and data from alleged 20,000 people - but held separately from MOU funds
Name dispute: Sultana pushed for "The Left Party"; Corbyn favoured keeping "Your Party" - members to vote at founding conference
TUSC backing (July 2025): Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition steering committee offered "full backing" to new party formation

Transparency issues

MOU Operations Ltd structure means initial donations not directly reported to Electoral Commission until transferred to party
Internal governance disputes raise questions about financial accountability
Multiple membership databases (Sultana portal vs MOU records) create fragmentation

(Sources: BBC News, The Guardian, Sky News, Novara Media - October-November 2025)

16. Palestine Action — Proscription and Funding Allegations

Founded: 30 July 2020 as direct action network targeting Israeli arms companies in UK
Status: Proscribed as terrorist organisation under Terrorism Act 2000, effective 5 July 2025
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced proscription on 23 June 2025, citing RAF Brize Norton security breach and aircraft vandalism

Funding allegations

Iran funding claims: Home Office and media reports alleged Iranian state financial support; Palestine Action denied allegations as "unhinged"
Online fundraising: Hansard debate (23 June 2025) noted group "raised considerable funds through online" platforms
Transparency: As unregistered campaign group, no Electoral Commission reporting requirements; actual funding sources opaque

Legal implications

Proscription makes membership, support, or fundraising for Palestine Action a criminal offence
Assets can be seized under terrorism legislation
Constitutional implications debated (UK Constitutional Law Association analysis, July 2025)

(Sources: GOV.UK proscribed organisations list, Hansard, BBC News, The Guardian - June-July 2025)

17. Gaps & Open Questions

Trade union political fund opt-in rates post-2016 Trade Union Act - have they held?
Momentum's current membership and finances - Lansman has been quiet on numbers since 2020
Pro-Palestine movement funding post-proscription - Palestine Action now illegal; where has funding/membership migrated?
Your Party finances - MOU Operations Ltd structure means early donations not yet visible in Electoral Commission returns
Sinn Féin's NI donation reporting - 2014-era data now emerging but still opaque
Russian soft-money flows to any British political groups - Rycroft Review did not find evidence but may not have had access to all intelligence
Co-operative Party finances - rarely discussed; affiliated to Labour but separately funded

Sources

Electoral Commission (electoralcommission.org.uk) - quarterly donation returns (Q4 2025: £65m total; Q1 2026: £24.7m)
PoliticsHome - Unite funding cut investigation (2024)
BBC News - Unite 40% funding cut (March 2026), Your Party £800k row (November 2025), Palestine Action proscription (June 2025)
The Guardian - Your Party donation disputes, Unite-Labour rift analysis
Sky News - Zarah Sultana MOU Operations takeover (October 2025)
Novara Media - Your Party analysis (Ash Sarkar, October 2025)
Press Gazette - Novara Media 15,000 supporters milestone (June 2025)
The Telegraph - Unite £580k cut to Labour (March 2026)
New Statesman - Unite-Labour relationship analysis (March 2026)
Hansard - Palestine Action proscription debate (23 June 2025)
GOV.UK - Proscribed terrorist organisations list (updated July 2025)
Companies House - Novara Media Ltd, Double Down News Ltd accounts
Charity Commission - Mariam Appeal investigation (2007)
The Rycroft Review (March 2026) - foreign financial influence in UK politics
donation.watch - UK political donation tracker
Morning Star / People's Press Printing Society reports
TUC - Trade union political fund data
Stand Up To Racism, PSC, StWC - public statements and annual reports
TUSC - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition statements on new party (July 2025)

This document is a research tracker. Verify figures against primary sources before citing.