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Jeremy Corbyn victory in Labour leadership contest could face 'legal challenge' Labour leadership: Andy Burnham calls for urgent meeting over concerns that 'large scale' Tory infiltration could lead to legal challenge
(about 2 hours later)
A victory for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest could be challenged in the courts, the team behind the left-winger’s rival contender, Andy Burnham, has warned as the party’s divisions deepen. Andy Burnham has called for an emergency meeting over concerns of “large scale” infiltration of Conservative supporters in the Labour leadership race.
Amid claims from the Burnham camp that thousands of Conservative supporters and followers of other parties have registered for a vote, Labour chiefs will next week discuss ways of guaranteeing the result is legally watertight. His team has written to Labour HQ demanding a meeting be held early next week between all four campaigns, claiming that the evidence of ‘entryism’ from supporters of other parties in the leadership election could result in the integrity of the contest being called into question.
The surprise move by the Burnham campaign came when Michael Dugher, his campaign chairman, wrote to Labour’s general secretary, Ian McNicol, to raise concerns that “entryists” could be entitled to vote. He added: “Given the party’s limited resources and the effort required to investigate applicants, this could result in the integrity of the contest being called into question, and the outcome subject to legal challenge.” The outcome of the election could even be subject to legal challenge unless the party takes immediate action, Mr Burnham’s camp warns. 
He called for a meeting to examine claims that “several thousand” Tories and others had signed up for a vote. Labour leadership hopefuls: Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn and Liz Kendall
Mr Burnham’s complaints over the contest’s integrity are shared by the campaign team of fellow candidate Liz Kendall. Her campaign is calling for a full breakdown of how votes were cast after the results are announced on 12 September. An astonishing 121,000 people took advantage of new rules enabling them to sign up as "registered supporters" and be given a vote in the leadership contest, but the process has been marred by claims that supporters of rival parties have used this avenue to make sure Mr Corbyn wins the contest.
A total of 121,000 people have paid £3 to become “registered supporters”, along with 190,000 “affiliated members” from the trade unions. With Mr Corbyn odds-on favourite to win the Labour crown next month, David Cameron claimed his policies would jeopardise national security. In a letter to the Labour party’s general secretary  Iain McNicol, Labour MP and chairman of Mr Burnham’s campaign Michael Dugher writes:
Responding to some of the frontrunner’s recent comments on defence policy, the Prime Minister said during a visit to Norwich: “The idea we’d be stronger and more secure by leaving Nato, as Jeremy Corbyn suggests, or by comparing American soldiers to [Isis] – this is absolutely the wrong approach and it will make Britain less secure.” “There has been extensive media coverage in recent days regarding the procedural elements of the leadership elections. We warmly welcome the fact that the process has been opened up, thus enabling so many rank and file Labour supporters to have a say in the future of our party.
Labour’s turmoil, including the threat of a legal challenge, will be discussed on Tuesday by members of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee. The leadership teams, as well as the five deputy leadership candidates, will be briefed by Mr McNichol afterwards. “There do however remain concerns about potential Tory infiltration on a large scale, with a Conservative MP, Conservative media commentators and Conservative councillors all having been rejected. 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.”
Yvette Cooper, also chasing the leadership role, refused to endorse the Burnham intervention. A spokeswoman said: “She is focusing on winning arguments and votes, not legal challenges.” Hinting that Mr Burnham could launch a legal challenge to the result if he fails to win the leadership election, the letter adds: “We are also concerned that given the party’s limited resources and the effort required to investigate applicants, this could result in the integrity of the contest being called into question, and the outcome subject to legal challenge.”
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn’s campaign said: “This latest internally faced intervention is an attempt to distract the leadership election onto ‘process’ rather than real political issues, such Jeremy Corbyn’s commitment to move on from the legacy of the Iraq war with an apology. This is because Jeremy Corbyn is setting the political agenda.” Read the full letter below.
The party insisted it would not halt or delay the contest as it had taken legal advice at every step. Its acting leader, Harriet Harman, said: “I am absolutely certain no court would decide we had done anything other than apply the rules in a rigorous, fair, robust and even-handed way. So whoever is elected they will be legally elected and the result will stand.” Responding to warnings that the leadership contest could be the subject of a legal challenge, acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said:“Because this is the first time we have operated these new rules for electing a Labour leader we have acted constantly on legal advice, we have taken legal advice every step of the way and I am absolutely certain that no court would decide that we had done anything other than apply the rules in a rigorous, fair, robust and even-handed way.
"So whoever is elected they will be legally elected and that the result will stand.”
A Labour party spokesman added: "We hold regular meetings and calls with candidate teams to update them on the process and will continue to do so.
"The Labour Party has a robust system to prevent fraudulent or malicious applications.
"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."
Mr Burnham's intervention comes after Labour HQ was accused of conducting a "purge" of left-wing supporters in a last ditch attempt to prevent Mr Corbyn from winning the election.
Hundreds of people who signed up to take part in the vote received emails from party HQ informing them they would be barred from voting because they did not support the “aims and values” of the Labour party. This is on top of over 1,200 people who have already been disqualified.
But many claim they have never been a member of any other party, have supported Labour in the past and have come back in the hope of electing Mr Corbyn as leader.
Read the full letter from Andy Burnham's campaign team to Iain McNicol, Labour's General Secretary:
Dear Iain,
There has been extensive media coverage in recent days regarding the procedural elements of the leadership elections. We warmly welcome the fact that the process has been opened up, thus enabling so many rank and file Labour supporters to have a say in the future of our party.
There do however remain concerns about potential Tory infiltration on a large scale, with a Conservative MP, Conservative media commentators, and Conservative councillors all having been rejected. 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.
While we accept the party has processes in place, there is potentially more that can be done by the party nationally and regionally as well as by local CLPs to exclude such infiltrators. We are also concerned that given the party's limited resources and the effort required to investigate applicants, this could result in the integrity of the contest being called into question, and the outcome subject to legal challenge.
The meeting on 11 August was helpful in bringing together the candidate teams to discuss the leadership election, to brief us on your plans, as well as take suggestions from us. To wait till 1 September for the next conference call with the teams when there are so many concerns is allowing the issue to drift, and potentially leaving insufficient time for the party to act.
We are therefore writing to ask you to call an urgent meeting of candidate teams early next week to discuss this matter further, to brief us on progress being made, and to consider recommendations from the campaign teams. This meeting should include representatives of all leadership and deputy leadership campaign teams, and should be a face-to-face meeting with those unable to participate joining by phone. We also believe that representatives of the Procedures Committee should be in attendance at the meeting.
Given the interest, we have shared this letter with the other leadership campaign teams. I await your early response.
Kind regards
Michael Dugher, Campaign Chair & John Lehal, Campaign Director, Andy4Leader