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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Labour leadership election: rejected supporters express their anger | Labour leadership election: rejected supporters express their anger |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Labour supporters have expressed their anger at being barred from the leadership vote, as the party steps up efforts to weed out those suspected of not being genuine supporters. | Labour supporters have expressed their anger at being barred from the leadership vote, as the party steps up efforts to weed out those suspected of not being genuine supporters. |
| It is understood that Labour sent out a fresh batch of emails to supporters this morning informing them that their applications have been rejected and that they will not be able to vote in the leadership election. | It is understood that Labour sent out a fresh batch of emails to supporters this morning informing them that their applications have been rejected and that they will not be able to vote in the leadership election. |
| The rejection email reads: | The rejection email reads: |
| We have reason to believe that you do not support the aims and values of the Labour Party or you are a supporter of an organisation opposed to the Labour Party and therefore we are rejecting your application. | We have reason to believe that you do not support the aims and values of the Labour Party or you are a supporter of an organisation opposed to the Labour Party and therefore we are rejecting your application. |
| Although you may have received or may still receive a ballot paper, it will not work and if you do vote it will not be counted. | Although you may have received or may still receive a ballot paper, it will not work and if you do vote it will not be counted. |
| Should you wish to dispute rejection by the Labour Party you would have to submit and pursue an application to join Labour as a full member. | Should you wish to dispute rejection by the Labour Party you would have to submit and pursue an application to join Labour as a full member. |
| Rob Chidley, a paralegal from Taunton, had hoped to back Liz Kendall, and received an email informing him he had been rejected early this morning. | Rob Chidley, a paralegal from Taunton, had hoped to back Liz Kendall, and received an email informing him he had been rejected early this morning. |
| “I called them to be told I cannot discover the grounds for my rejection unless I join as a full member,” he said. “I argued that I should be entitled to know why I cannot vote in the election before I appeal but this was rejected. This strikes me as being completely undemocratic.” | “I called them to be told I cannot discover the grounds for my rejection unless I join as a full member,” he said. “I argued that I should be entitled to know why I cannot vote in the election before I appeal but this was rejected. This strikes me as being completely undemocratic.” |
| Jason Cobb, a website editor from south London, has blogged on his bemusement at being rejected. | Jason Cobb, a website editor from south London, has blogged on his bemusement at being rejected. |
| “I’ve never campaigned against the Labour party, I’ve never been a member of any other party. I know some people have been kicked out before, like Mark Steel, but it seems there’s been a whole mass mail-out overnight. My email arrived at 2am.” | “I’ve never campaigned against the Labour party, I’ve never been a member of any other party. I know some people have been kicked out before, like Mark Steel, but it seems there’s been a whole mass mail-out overnight. My email arrived at 2am.” |
| “My one vote isn’t going to change anything at all, but I think it’s very petty.” | “My one vote isn’t going to change anything at all, but I think it’s very petty.” |
| Cobb’s local MP, Kate Hoey, said: “Jason is exactly the kind of person on we need in the Labour party. I want to place on record my deep concern at his exclusion and believe that it should be challenged.” | Cobb’s local MP, Kate Hoey, said: “Jason is exactly the kind of person on we need in the Labour party. I want to place on record my deep concern at his exclusion and believe that it should be challenged.” |
| Ridiculous to rule someone out of a Leadership vote just because some Councillors don't like their blogs @Jason_Cobb @VauxhallLabour | Ridiculous to rule someone out of a Leadership vote just because some Councillors don't like their blogs @Jason_Cobb @VauxhallLabour |
| Rosie Fletcher, a journalist, took to Twitter to express her bemusement at being rejected. Many others have done the same, using the hashtag #LabourPurge. | Rosie Fletcher, a journalist, took to Twitter to express her bemusement at being rejected. Many others have done the same, using the hashtag #LabourPurge. |
| “I’ve written some critical articles in the New Statesman but can’t see that that would make me an undesirable,” Fletcher told the Guardian. “Especially as I was on Victoria Derbyshire on BBC2 last week enthusiastically discussing my hopes for Labour’s future as a proud member. | “I’ve written some critical articles in the New Statesman but can’t see that that would make me an undesirable,” Fletcher told the Guardian. “Especially as I was on Victoria Derbyshire on BBC2 last week enthusiastically discussing my hopes for Labour’s future as a proud member. |
| “I am a returning member and was really enthusiastic about it all.” | “I am a returning member and was really enthusiastic about it all.” |
| Well now this is awkward. You go on television to talk enthusiastically about being a Labour member and then they reject your membership. | Well now this is awkward. You go on television to talk enthusiastically about being a Labour member and then they reject your membership. |
| Dozens of would-be registered members have been contacting the Guardian with their own rejection stories. While some understood the reason for their exclusion – including one who stood as a Green party councillor in May’s general election – the majority were unhappy and, in many cases, angry. Many feared their open backing for Jeremy Corbyn was among the reasons for their rejection by the party. | Dozens of would-be registered members have been contacting the Guardian with their own rejection stories. While some understood the reason for their exclusion – including one who stood as a Green party councillor in May’s general election – the majority were unhappy and, in many cases, angry. Many feared their open backing for Jeremy Corbyn was among the reasons for their rejection by the party. |
| “I am distraught at being rejected,” said David Foster, a self-employed artist from Merseyside. | “I am distraught at being rejected,” said David Foster, a self-employed artist from Merseyside. |
| “To see the words ‘We have reason to believe that you do not support the aims and values of the Labour Party’ is so upsetting. | “To see the words ‘We have reason to believe that you do not support the aims and values of the Labour Party’ is so upsetting. |
| “I had been a proud trade union member of Unison for over 20 years. I voted Labour in the last election, I hate the Tories and Ukip with a passion. This is my party and I can’t join. | “I had been a proud trade union member of Unison for over 20 years. I voted Labour in the last election, I hate the Tories and Ukip with a passion. This is my party and I can’t join. |
| “I was furious beyond belief yesterday when I got the email. Since then, I keep getting emails from candidates, to “vote for me”. I replied to Tom Watson saying I would love to vote for him but … | “I was furious beyond belief yesterday when I got the email. Since then, I keep getting emails from candidates, to “vote for me”. I replied to Tom Watson saying I would love to vote for him but … |
| “I did get a reply late last night from him saying ‘I’m sorry about that. As a candidate there’s not much I can do I’m afraid. The vetting process is done exclusively by the national HQ.’” | “I did get a reply late last night from him saying ‘I’m sorry about that. As a candidate there’s not much I can do I’m afraid. The vetting process is done exclusively by the national HQ.’” |
| Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Labour party leadership hopeful Yvette Cooper was asked about meeting notes leaked to the Guardian that showed a Labour committee last week voted to ignore the advice of lawyers and not to undertake extra due diligence on voters in its leadership election. Party lawyers supported an extra stage of verification in order to protect Labour against a legal challenge by unsuccessful candidates. | Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Labour party leadership hopeful Yvette Cooper was asked about meeting notes leaked to the Guardian that showed a Labour committee last week voted to ignore the advice of lawyers and not to undertake extra due diligence on voters in its leadership election. Party lawyers supported an extra stage of verification in order to protect Labour against a legal challenge by unsuccessful candidates. |
| Cooper said: “I see no evidence to mount a legal challenge and that’s certainly not what I’m looking at.” She added that the party had assured the candidates that there had been proper and robust checks and that, although she wanted more people to get involved in the party, “obviously, we don’t want people who have been campaigning against the Labour party and who don’t share the values of the Labour party to be part of the election”. | Cooper said: “I see no evidence to mount a legal challenge and that’s certainly not what I’m looking at.” She added that the party had assured the candidates that there had been proper and robust checks and that, although she wanted more people to get involved in the party, “obviously, we don’t want people who have been campaigning against the Labour party and who don’t share the values of the Labour party to be part of the election”. |
| Responding to complaints that long-time Labour supporters have been denied a vote in the election, a spokesperson for the party said: “While we want the widest number of supporters to have their say in Labour’s leadership contest, the Labour party has a robust system to prevent fraudulent or malicious applications. All applications are verified against the electoral register, and any who are identified by our verification team or by local Labour branches as not sharing the aims or values of the Labour party will be denied a vote.” | Responding to complaints that long-time Labour supporters have been denied a vote in the election, a spokesperson for the party said: “While we want the widest number of supporters to have their say in Labour’s leadership contest, the Labour party has a robust system to prevent fraudulent or malicious applications. All applications are verified against the electoral register, and any who are identified by our verification team or by local Labour branches as not sharing the aims or values of the Labour party will be denied a vote.” |