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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Labour leadership: Andy Burnham raises Tory infiltration fears | Labour leadership: Andy Burnham raises Tory infiltration fears |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thousands of "infiltrators" - including many Tories - may be planning to vote in Labour's leadership election, Andy Burnham's campaign has said. | |
| Michael Dugher, Mr Burnham's campaign chair, suggested not enough was being done to address the issue and called for an "urgent meeting". | Michael Dugher, Mr Burnham's campaign chair, suggested not enough was being done to address the issue and called for an "urgent meeting". |
| There are also claims that individuals supporting Jeremy Corbyn are being unfairly banned from taking part. | |
| Labour said it had "a robust system" to stop "malicious applications". | Labour said it had "a robust system" to stop "malicious applications". |
| Mr Corbyn, Mr Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are all standing. | Mr Corbyn, Mr Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are all standing. |
| Polls suggest Mr Corbyn is the frontrunner. | Polls suggest Mr Corbyn is the frontrunner. |
| 'So desperate' | 'So desperate' |
| New regulations allow members of the public to sign up to vote as a "registered supporter" for £3. | New regulations allow members of the public to sign up to vote as a "registered supporter" for £3. |
| Some have been told their vote will be discounted. | Some have been told their vote will be discounted. |
| Mr Burnham's team have written to Labour's general secretary claiming "a Conservative MP, Conservative media commentators, and Conservative councillors" had all been rejected. | |
| The letter added: "This suggests the 121,000 registered supporters could include several thousand Tory infiltrators, as well as supporters of other parties seeking to have a vote in the election." | The letter added: "This suggests the 121,000 registered supporters could include several thousand Tory infiltrators, as well as supporters of other parties seeking to have a vote in the election." |
| Mr Dugher said the party was "allowing the issue to drift, and potentially leaving insufficient time for the party to act". | Mr Dugher said the party was "allowing the issue to drift, and potentially leaving insufficient time for the party to act". |
| There is "potentially more that can be done by the party" to weed out Tories and other rogue voters," he added. | There is "potentially more that can be done by the party" to weed out Tories and other rogue voters," he added. |
| Comedian Jeremy Hardy, meanwhile, suggested the party was seeking to "rig" the election by wrongly barring left-wing supporters of Mr Corbyn from taking part. | Comedian Jeremy Hardy, meanwhile, suggested the party was seeking to "rig" the election by wrongly barring left-wing supporters of Mr Corbyn from taking part. |
| Mr Hardy was told his vote would be discounted, despite being a Labour member in the past. | Mr Hardy was told his vote would be discounted, despite being a Labour member in the past. |
| He said he had supported Green candidate Caroline Lucas in her constituency at the election, but Mr Corbyn's candidacy meant he felt he could "come home to Labour". | He said he had supported Green candidate Caroline Lucas in her constituency at the election, but Mr Corbyn's candidacy meant he felt he could "come home to Labour". |
| Labour's verification process | Labour's verification process |
| Labour says all applications to join as a full member, affiliate, or a supporter are assessed by a verification team. | Labour says all applications to join as a full member, affiliate, or a supporter are assessed by a verification team. |
| The party says it has 40 staff in Newcastle and 30 at its London HQ working to check applications and anyone who does not support Labour's "aims and values", anyone not registered as an elector at the address they have given or anyone previously excluded from the party would be rejected. | The party says it has 40 staff in Newcastle and 30 at its London HQ working to check applications and anyone who does not support Labour's "aims and values", anyone not registered as an elector at the address they have given or anyone previously excluded from the party would be rejected. |
| MPs, local constituency parties and regional offices are also carrying out checks and providing further information. Applicants' social media accounts are also being looked at. | MPs, local constituency parties and regional offices are also carrying out checks and providing further information. Applicants' social media accounts are also being looked at. |
| The latest figures show the party had as many as 189,703 affiliates, 121,295 registered supporters and 299,275 members would could potentially vote. | The latest figures show the party had as many as 189,703 affiliates, 121,295 registered supporters and 299,275 members would could potentially vote. |
| He accused Labour of trying to "change the rules of a game during an election". | He accused Labour of trying to "change the rules of a game during an election". |
| "The Labour Party might be trying to invite a legal challenge so that they can say 'let's just scrap the election'," Mr Hardy added. "They are so desperate that I wouldn't be surprised." | "The Labour Party might be trying to invite a legal challenge so that they can say 'let's just scrap the election'," Mr Hardy added. "They are so desperate that I wouldn't be surprised." |
| Former Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay also accused the party of misusing canvass returns - collected at election time to gauge the level of support for candidates - to find people who have previously voted for other parties. | Former Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay also accused the party of misusing canvass returns - collected at election time to gauge the level of support for candidates - to find people who have previously voted for other parties. |
| He said the exclusion process had been "arbitrary" and "unfair". | He said the exclusion process had been "arbitrary" and "unfair". |
| "The Labour party has got to stop today doing this," he added. | "The Labour party has got to stop today doing this," he added. |
| Iraq apology | Iraq apology |
| But a Labour spokesman said the party was confident "the processes of verification and handling applications are compliant with the Data Protection Act." | But a Labour spokesman said the party was confident "the processes of verification and handling applications are compliant with the Data Protection Act." |
| He added: "All applications to join the Labour Party as a member, affiliate or supporter are verified and those who are identified by our verification team as being candidates, members or supporters of another political party will be denied a vote." | He added: "All applications to join the Labour Party as a member, affiliate or supporter are verified and those who are identified by our verification team as being candidates, members or supporters of another political party will be denied a vote." |
| Also on Friday, Mr Corbyn said he would formally apologise on behalf of the Labour Party for taking the country to war with Iraq if elected leader. | Also on Friday, Mr Corbyn said he would formally apologise on behalf of the Labour Party for taking the country to war with Iraq if elected leader. |
| Mr Corbyn told the Guardian the party would "never again flout the United Nations and international law" | Mr Corbyn told the Guardian the party would "never again flout the United Nations and international law" |
| Labour leadership contest | Labour leadership contest |