Is the dream of a vegan-only restaurant era over?

When Eleven Madison Park, once the most famous vegan fine-dining restaurant in the world, announced last month that it would reintroduce meat and fish, the symbolism was hard to miss. Daniel Humm, the chef behind the three-Michelin-starred New York dining room, had made headlines in 2021 by going fully plant-based – hailed at the time as radical, necessary and perhaps even inevitable.

Now, four years later, the experiment is over. “Over the last three years, we came to understand that while we gained some guests who celebrated this bold move, we had also unintentionally kept people out,” Humm admitted in a statement. From October, EMP will offer two tasting menus: one plant-based, the other featuring dishes such as honey-lavender-glazed duck.

So, was this the moment the vegan bubble burst? Or does it say more about how the conversation has shifted – away from absolutes and into something more nuanced?

What makes EMP’s reversal especially interesting for British diners is that Humm once tried the same here. In 2021, while running Davies and Brook at Claridge’s, he proposed turning the Mayfair restaurant fully plant-based. The hotel refused, saying it “respects and understands” his vision but that it was “not the path we wish to follow here … at the moment”. The partnership ended soon after.

That episode hinted at what we’re now seeing globally: prestige veganism colliding with commercial reality. Even Claridge’s sensed the market for all-vegan fine dining wasn’t strong enough in the UK.

And yet this is the country that gave us Veganuary, which still attracts millions worldwide. It’s also home to a thriving ecosystem of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, from long-standing neighbourhood spots to high-end innovators. Among them are Tendril, which bills itself as “mostly vegan”, and Plates in east London, which this year became the first fully vegan restaurant in the UK to win a Michelin star.

So what’s really going on?

Even with celebrity backing, vegan-only ventures have struggled. Neat Burger, the fast-food chain funded by Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, announced that it would be closing all of its UK sites earlier this year. At its peak, it had more than a dozen outlets and ambitious global expansion plans. By 2022, it was posting losses of nearly £8m.

It’s sometimes assumed that a vegan menu should be cheaper to run. After all, vegetables and grains often cost less per kilo than meat or fish – Oxford University research even found that vegan diets can reduce household food costs by up to a third. But in restaurant kitchens, the equation is different. Processed meat substitutes remain pricier than animal equivalents, while cooking vegetables at a fine-dining level requires more labour.

This is where the backlash against ultra-processed foods (UPFs) matters. Plant-based burgers once fuelled the vegan boom, but they’ve since gained a reputation for being just as industrial as the meat they were meant to replace.

Studies suggest they can still be healthier – one 2022 trial found that swapping red meat for plant-based alternatives reduced LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk – but perception matters. Diners now want vegetables presented as themselves, not in disguise.

That helps explain why restaurants such as Tendril and Plates, which avoid substitutes entirely, are thriving while Neat Burger faltered.

Rishim Sachdeva, founder of Tendril, is candid about the limits. “There is that perception that people who follow a plant-based diet tend to drink less,” he says, “but I feel that’s becoming the norm these days anyway. People aren’t drinking as much.” At Tendril, drinks sales account for around a quarter of revenue – lower than average, but still workable. “That gives us enough room to manoeuvre with the teams, with the fun things, with wine pairings and nice cocktails, and gives us enough playground to really focus on our food.”

Alexandra Price, sommelier at Plates, doesn’t buy the idea that a vegan model is financially unsustainable. “Overall, we tend to have good monthly wine spend, bolstered by the fact that we offer pairings to go with the menu,” she explains. Guests can also choose non-alcoholic or 50/50 pairings – but, she notes, “wine sales are still the strongest”.

She attributes that partly to trust: “Most of our guests seem to eat an all-round diet and approach plant-based dining with a lot of interest … this willingness to try and be open towards the style also helps with wine sales as people put their trust in what we are putting in front of them.”

For a long time, veganism was driven by animal-welfare arguments, with environmentalism close behind. But many chefs now believe the motivation has shifted.

“The reasoning for me and the people that I know is that obviously it’s good for the environment, but it is definitely good for me,” Sachdeva says. “I feel much better eating it and I can really get on with it because it’s something I’m starting to believe in more and more.”

He calls this a “correction”: five years ago, the conversation was about animal cruelty; now it’s about human health. Nutrition scientists such as Tim Spector have helped popularise this shift, encouraging people to eat a diversity of plants – “30 a week” is his benchmark – not as a moral stance, but as a route to better digestion, stronger immunity and long-term health.

Making vegetables the star isn’t new. Indian thalis, Persian stews and Japanese temple food have long been largely plant-based. Even Raymond Blanc, hardly a trend-chaser, has championed vegetables. The difference now is framing: animal welfare once dominated, but gut health and longevity drive the appeal today.

David Taylor, chef director at Grace & Savour, agrees the picture is “more nuanced”. Many diners now “focus on how animals are raised and sourced … People are eating less meat while seeking better quality, choosing fish more carefully, and questioning how all food is produced.” He also warns that veganism isn’t automatically better for the planet: “Vegan products have their own issues too: heavy use of soya can drive deforestation, and almond milk production can cause serious drought.”

At the same time, meat is undergoing its own rebrand – not as an everyday staple, but as something rarer, more artisanal.

At Cycene, head chef Taz Sarhane says requests for vegan or dairy-free meals have “gone down to about once a month” compared with weekly a year ago. Instead, diners are seeking out offal and unusual cuts. “The recent craze for offal has taken off, with people showing growing interest in meat from smaller or less common animals, such as goats … diners are increasingly willing to try more unconventional cuts – from cow liver and spleen to cow udder.”

Sam White, executive chef at 45 Jermyn St, has seen the same. “One of the most popular dishes … is our liver with crispy onions and mashed potatoes. Even in the warm weather, people still want to eat it.”

For Isaac McHale, chef patron of The Clove Club, the explanation is cultural. “The idea to change your restaurant to vegan always seemed to be a hard thing, but maybe much easier in America where there is lower standards of husbandry and much more intensive farming. In the UK, we have some of the best meat in the world … we have so many rare breeds of farmed animals and I think we should celebrate that unique part of our country.”

The message from many chefs isn’t that veganism is dead, but that it’s become part of a broader, more flexible way of eating. Chantelle Nicholson, founder of Michelin green starred Apricity, puts it plainly: “We need to eat more plants, end of! However, in my opinion, we need meat and animals to have a balanced ecosystem. My hope is that consumers embrace more plants, and better meat, so they are more selective and it’s seen as something to savour and celebrate, not overdo.”

Sachdeva echoes that pragmatism: “Having meat seven days a week is not feasible for the world. It’s not feasible for your body. If you were to cut down to even once or twice a week, that will really help with the bigger picture … And if you do eat meat, then you should get it from the right farmers and the right butchers and then enjoy that, savour it more.”

And while EMP may have stepped back, Price believes the curiosity is still there. “As long as we put the effort into sourcing good ingredients and interesting wines, I think the interest will always be there for the curious.”

So, is veganism over? The answer depends on what you mean by veganism. If it means all-or-nothing restaurants with no animal products ever, perhaps that moment has passed. But if it means plant-led dining, eating less meat and the shift from ethics to health – then veganism hasn’t disappeared at all. It’s simply evolved.

As McHale notes, there are long-standing traditions of vegan cooking – “Japanese and Korean temple food, South Indian cookery, and it can be really delicious” – and they will always have their place. But in the mainstream, the movement has been absorbed into something more flexible, more sustainable and more aligned with how people actually want to eat.

The vegan-only experiment may have faltered. But the legacy it leaves behind is clear: a dining culture that is more plant-forward than ever, one where meat is occasional, valued and scrutinised – and where the conversation has moved from saving the planet to saving ourselves.

Trump and Musk reunited at Charlie Kirk memorial months after breakup

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were reunited at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona following their bitter split a few months ago.

The men were seen on camera shaking hands Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale during speeches remembering the Turning Point USA founder.

After months of being Trump’s “first buddy,” the world’s richest man made a dramatic exit from the White House at the end of May after a feud ignited between him and the president.

At Kirk’s memorial, the official White House Rapid Response 47 account shared footage of the men chatting as Musk joined the president in the stadium.

The account appeared to celebrate their reunion, captioning the post with a love-heart and handshake emoji.

Musk spent several months this year leading the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash government spending.

Under his leadership, Doge laid off hundreds of thousands of federal employees, hollowed out several agencies and terminated thousands of government contracts and grants.

Toward the end of Musk’s time in government, cracks began to show between the tech mogul and the president.

Trump officially marked the end of Musk’s 130 days as a “special government employee” at an Oval Office press conference, where the Tesla CEO appeared with a black eye.

The president praised Musk for his work through Doge and hailed him for having led what he called “the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations.”

“Elon gave an incredible service. There’s nobody like him, and he had to go through the slings and the arrows, which is a shame, because he’s an incredible patriot. The good news is that 90% of the country knows that, and they appreciate it, and they really appreciate what he did,” he said.

Trump then presented Musk with a trinket that dated back to the 47th president’s prior term as the 45th President of the United States: A “Key to the White House.”

After the send off, Musk went public with his opposition to Trump’s signature legislation, the “One, Big Beautiful Bill,” which the billionaire claimed would increase the budget deficit by $2.5 trillion.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote of Trump’s bill on June 3. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”

Musk and Trump continued to spar until June 5, when the former Doge leader claimed the president appeared in the Epstein files.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

Tensions appeared to ease soon afterward. Musk expressed “regret” on June 11 for the posts he made about the president, while Trump revealed he had “no hard feelings” toward Musk.

Soon after the bill was signed, the tech mogul announced that he would be forming the new “America Party.”

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” he wrote on X.

Trump called the idea “ridiculous.” The president also threatened to “take a look at” deporting Musk to South Africa, where he was born and raised for several years.

Duchess of York wrote to ‘supreme friend’ Epstein after vowing to cut ties

Sarah, Duchess of York, apologised to Jeffrey Epstein for disowning him and called him a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” after saying she had cut ties with him, according to a leaked email.

The email from the Duke of York’s ex-wife, dated 26 April 2011, reportedly came just weeks after she told reporters she would “never have anything to do with” the convicted sex offender again.

The emails, first reported by Sun on Sunday and the Daily Mail, reportedly showed that the duchess had “humbly apologised” to Epstein for linking him to paedophilia in the media, before lathering him with praise about his strength and generosity.

But her spokesman has insisted that Ms Ferguson sent the letter only in an attempt to “assuage Epstein and his threats”, claiming that he had threatened to sue her for her comments in the media.

The duchess gave an interview to the Evening Standard on 7 March 2011 in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from Epstein. She went on to issue what appeared at the time to be a heartfelt apology for her association with the disgraced financier, who died in prison eight years later in 2019.

“I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say,” the duchess told the newspaper.

“Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”

Little over a month later, the duchess sent an email from her private account to the convicted paedophile, apologising and telling him she had felt “broken and lost” after being told not to associate with him, according to the reports.

The email read: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.

“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.

“I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed.

“I was advised, in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did – I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost.

“So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in overriding fear. I am sorry.”

The duchess’s spokesperson has said she was “taken in by his lies” and sent the email only to avoid the threat of defamation.

They said: “The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.

“Like many people, she was taken in by his lies.

“As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia. She does not resile from anything she said then.

“This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.”

It comes just weeks after former UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, was sacked by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer on 11 September, after correspondence emerged showing the Labour grandee expressing support for Epstein.

He told the financier to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and told him, “I think the world of you” the day before he began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

The prime minister had backed Mr Mandelson regarding his links with Epstein until the emails emerged, which the Foreign Office said showed that “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.

German jets intercept Russian plane as Trump vows to defend Poland and Baltics

Germany said it scrambled air force fighter jets to intercept and track a Russian surveillance plane flying unidentified over the Baltic Sea.

Two German Air Force Eurofighter jets were joined by two Swedish Gripen jets to monitor and photograph Moscow’s IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.

The monitoring operation, which ended without incident, came at a time when Nato and EU members are on heightened alert for Russian military and reconnaissance activities in and around their airspace after repeated drone incursions in Poland, Romania and now Estonia.

Russian forces flew the spy plane without providing a flight path or radio contact that could signal its presence, Swedish and German air force officials said.

Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US would come to the defence of Poland and the Baltic states if Russia were to attack in future.

Asked by reporters whether Washington would come to the aid of the Nato members if Russia were to continue escalating, he replied: “Yeah I would.”

In the past fortnight, Russian drones and fighter jets have entered Estonian, Polish and Romanian air space – drawing international condemnation and sparking a UN Security Council meeting scheduled for later today.

Trump set to tie Tylenol use in pregnant women to autism

President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Monday that his administration has identified what it believes is one of the root causes of autism.

Speaking during his address at a memorial service for the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sunday, the president veered off at a tangent to promote his next public appearance by saying, “I think you’re going to find it to be amazing. I think we found an answer to autism.”

Offering no further details about what he intends to say about the condition, Trump did pledge that his administration “won’t let it happen anymore” and added: “I think it’s going to be one of the most important news conferences I’ll ever have, and I look so forward to it.”

The Food and Drug Administration, many medical organizations, and Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, maintain that the drug is safe for pregnant people to take as directed, but advise that users consult medical professionals.

Before his appearance at the Kirk tribute event, the president told reporters at the White House on Friday, “Autism is totally out of control. I think we, maybe, have a reason why.”

The Washington Post reported earlier on Sunday that Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to link the consumption of the over-the-counter pain medication Tylenol, which contains acetaminophen, during pregnancy to the onset of autism and to recommend that it only be used to tackle high fevers.

The Post also reported that the HHS believes that low levels of folate, a vitamin essential for the development of a baby’s brain and spine, are also a contributing cause behind autism and will recommend the cancer and anaemia drug leucovorin, or folinic acid, as a means of addressing its symptoms.

Two senior officials subsequently confirmed to Politico that those two points would be the subject of Monday’s event, with White House spokesperson Kush Desai promising that the “announcement will make historic progress.”

A spokesperson for Kenvue disagreed with the administration’s reported conclusions about the alleged ties between its product and autism and warned that the announcement could force expectant mothers to make “dangerous choices” between enduring pain and taking riskier painkillers.

“The facts are that over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism,” the spokesperson said.

“We stand with the many public health and medical professionals who have reviewed this science and agree. We will continue to explore all options to protect the health interests of American women and children.”

Kenvue’s assessment is widely shared by medical professionals, with Dr Christopher Zahn, chief of clinical practice for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, saying in a statement: “There is no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues.

“Neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular, are multifactorial and very difficult to associate with a singular cause. Pregnant patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen, which is safe and one of the few options pregnant people have for pain relief.”

Associate professor Alex Polyakov of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Australia, also rejected attempts to link painkillers to the condition by saying: “Research shows that both autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are predominantly driven by genetic factors, which account for around 70-80 percent of overall risk, while environmental influences together contribute only about 20-30 percent.”

Kennedy, who has a history of making controversial claims about the supposed links between vaccines and autism, has expressed his determination to rein in what he believes has become an “epidemic.”

“We’re finding … certain interventions now that are clearly, almost certainly causing autism, and we’re going to be able to address those in September,” he said at a cabinet meeting last month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is under the secretary’s stewardship, reported earlier this year that one in 31 American eight-year-olds was diagnosed with autism in 2022, compared with one in 150 in 2000, suggesting a significant rise.

However, the CDC’s own experts dismissed the idea that the condition is spreading by pointing to an expanded definition of autism being adopted in 2013 and the improved screening of children, two factors that have led to more people being diagnosed with the condition this century and that explain the hike.

What to expect from Heathrow’s ‘Redefine Your Beauty’ experiences

As someone who’s regularly jetting off to different corners of the globe for work, to me the airport has come to represent just a means to an end: Pret, security queue, working charging socket. After years of this, I’ve pretty much got my routine on lockdown, which usually involves some purely functional eating, a quick pint in Spoons, and a last-minute visit to Duty Free to buy a moisturiser because I forgot mine, again.

So, when I heard Heathrow was rolling out a new experiential beauty and wellness campaign across all four terminals, with pop-up beauty bars, luxury treatments and skincare tech that tells you things about your face you didn’t even know were possible, I was curious. Airports are not where I usually go to feel (or look) my best. But a quick massage and some free beauty advice before a flight? Oh, go on then.

I’m due to fly out of Terminal 5 soon, which means I’ll get to check out the Personal Shopper Lounge and see what the hype is about. There’s a full-on treatment menu, the kind you’d expect at a boutique spa, except here, it’s been designed for travellers on the move, like me, with treatments lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. How often can you say an airport is offering La Mer facials, Elemis LED masks, Molton Brown hand massages and Estée Lauder’s ‘Age Reversal Sculpt Ritual’ facial? From neck and shoulder massages to cryotherapy and ultrasonic peels, it’s the kind of thing you’d usually have to schedule weeks in advance, and here it is, just a stone’s throw from your departure gate. I might even consider swapping my pre-flight pint for something a little more restorative.

Outside the lounge, the terminals are set to be abuzz with pop-up beauty bars from brands like Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Molton Brown and Penhaligon’s – offering live demos, free mini-treatments and genuinely helpful skincare advice. There’s even a skin analysis station (powered by tech that looks like it comes from the year 3000), and perfume engraving on the spot. Fancy.

I wasn’t planning to splurge £200 on more beauty products,​​ but it’s hard to resist when there’s a free luxury beauty bag up for grabs when you do, packed with products from Elizabeth Arden, Versace, Benefit, Amouage and Elemis, to name a few. The offer’s available in all the main World Duty Free stores, and if you’re a Heathrow Rewards member, you can earn double points on qualifying beauty buys (up to 1,000 points), which definitely makes me feel a little better about splashing the cash.

Even the food spots are jumping on board with the wellness vibes. I usually go for a failsafe Joe & The Juice Tunacado, but I’ve spotted a Clean Green smoothie at Jones the Grocer and a Firecracker Chicken Salad from Leon. I might even grab a poké bowl from YO! Sushi for the flight, although word on the street is the plane meal is steamed seabream with romesco.

I never thought I’d describe an airport experience as relaxing and rejuvenating, but this campaign is definitely out to challenge me. Between the luxurious treatments and nutritious food choices, Heathrow has created the first airport rendezvous that won’t leave you feeling like you need a holiday from your holiday.

If you find yourself passing through Heathrow between now and early October, don’t just bolt straight to your gate. Give yourself an extra 30 minutes, book yourself in for a quick massage or facial, and visit World Duty Free to grab that beauty bag full of goodies to make your holiday that little bit more special.

Find out more about Heathrow’s Redefine Your Beauty campaign, including treatment menus, participating brands and exclusive offers here

Heathrow among airports suffering fourth day of disruption after cyberattack

Disruption caused by a cyber attack on airline check-in systems across Europe is continuing into Monday (22 September) – the fourth day since the hack began. Mystery surrounds the identity of the hackers and the purpose of the attack.

The provider of the system, Collins Aerospace, says it is close to completing “necessary software updates” that should restore airports and airlines to normal operations.

A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) told The Independent: “We are working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports, alongside Department for Transport and law enforcement colleagues, to fully understand the impact of an incident.

“All organisations are urged to make use of the NCSC’s free guidance, services and tools to help reduce the chances of a cyber attack and bolster their resilience in the face of online threats.”

At London Heathrow, Terminal 4 has once again seen the worst of the disruption. Several departures from the terminal took off as late as two hours behind schedule on Sunday night, with manual check-in still in force.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Airlines across Heathrow have implemented contingencies whilst their supplier Collins Aerospace works to resolve an issue with their airline check-in systems at airports across the world.

“This system is not owned or operated by Heathrow, so whilst we cannot resolve the IT issue directly, we are supporting airlines and have additional colleagues in the terminals to assist passengers.”

The airport warned that “check-in and boarding for some flights may take slightly longer than usual”.

Passengers are advised not to get to the airport more than three hours before longhaul flights or two hours before shorthaul departures, to avoid overcrowding in terminals.

At Brussels airport, more than 50 arrivals and departures have been cancelled. Airlines have been asked to thin out their schedules as they battle to check in passengers manually. The Belgian national carrier, Brussels Airlines, is worst affected, with easyJet and Vueling of Spain also cancelling six flights each.

Brussels Airlines told passengers online: “Due to technical issues at Brussels airport, it is only possible to do a manual check-in and boarding. We strongly advise all passengers to check in online and to use the self bag drop when arriving at the airport.

“As flights could get cancelled or delayed, always check the status of your flight before coming to the airport.”

Elsewhere, queues have built up with many departures delayed. Berlin and Dublin also continue to see disruption. The airport in the Irish capital posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The Dublin airport team is continuing to support airlines today (Monday) as they manage ongoing disruption from a technical issue that is affecting check-in and boarding systems at several airports in Europe.”

Only Terminal 2 is affected at Dublin airport. Terminal 1, used by Ryanair, is operating normally.

The Independent has asked RTX, the parent company of Collins Aerospace, for an update.

Read more: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?

Sultana drops legal threat in bitter feud with Corbyn over Your Party

Zarah Sultana has said she will call off legal action in a move towards reconciliation in her bitter feud with Jeremy Corbyn over their fledgling party.

In a statement, the left-wing MP said she would put the argument behind her “for the sake of the party” and acknowledged that supporters felt “demoralised” over the row engulfing Your Party, the political outfit she established with Mr Corbyn in July this year.

Last week Ms Sultana claimed she had encountered a “sexist boys’ club” within the party amid a furious row over its membership system. On Thursday, supporters were contacted and urged to officially sign up and pledge their financial backing, but this was later described by Mr Corbyn as an “unauthorised email”. Hours later, he warned people not to respond to the link they had been sent.

On Friday Ms Sultana said she had instructed “specialist defamation lawyers” after being “the subject of a number of false and defamatory statements” about her launch of the membership system. But in a post on X (Twitter) on Sunday night, she said she was “determined to reconcile” and was in talks with Mr Corbyn.

“For the sake of the party, and as an act of good faith, I will not be pursuing legal proceedings despite the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations against me,” she wrote in a statement posted on the platform. “Fascism is growing at the door. The stakes are too high for failure to be an option.”

She continued: “I know many people are feeling demoralised – I share that feeling. We find ourselves in a regrettable situation, but my motivation has always been to ensure the collective strength of our movement, put members first and build the genuinely democratic conference and socialist party we so urgently need.

“I am determined to reconcile and move forward. I am engaged in ongoing discussions with Jeremy, for whom, like all socialists of my generation, I have nothing but respect.”

As the row escalated last week, the party said it had reported itself to the UK’s data protection watchdog and claimed that a “false membership system has been unilaterally launched”.

Ms Sultana said she took the step because she felt she had been “sidelined” and “effectively frozen out” by Mr Corbyn and fellow independent MPs Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohammed and Shockat Adam.

The Coventry South MP added: “Unfortunately I have been subjected to what can only be described as a sexist boys’ club: I have been treated appallingly and excluded completely.”

Ms Sultana had said the link she posted online to sign up for Your Party was “safe, secure and legitimate”.

The party said the developments were a “blow for everyone who has put their hope in a real alternative” and that Ms Sultana “has not been excluded from any discussions”.

Your Party, which is yet to decide on an official name, has been seen as a potential challenger to Labour, Reform UK and the Green Party. More than 750,000 supporters have signed up since its launch earlier this year under the placeholder name of Your Party, according to Ms Sultana.