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Labour leadership: Harman vows to weed out all 'cheats' Labour leadership: Harman vows to weed out all 'cheats'
(about 1 hour later)
Harriet Harman has said 3,000 alleged "cheats" have so far been excluded from voting in the Labour leadership contest, with more expected.Harriet Harman has said 3,000 alleged "cheats" have so far been excluded from voting in the Labour leadership contest, with more expected.
The acting Labour leader said: "It is not funny or clever for people from other parties to try to cheat their way into our system."The acting Labour leader said: "It is not funny or clever for people from other parties to try to cheat their way into our system."
And only people who supported the "aims and values" of the Labour Party would be allowed to take part.And only people who supported the "aims and values" of the Labour Party would be allowed to take part.
She was speaking after a meeting with the four leadership contenders.She was speaking after a meeting with the four leadership contenders.
She said the verification process was "robust" and would go on until the "very last minute".She said the verification process was "robust" and would go on until the "very last minute".
The acting Labour leader also suggested the party could introduce extra checks on applicants for votes and was open to proposals from the candidates. The new leader is set to be announced on 12 September.The acting Labour leader also suggested the party could introduce extra checks on applicants for votes and was open to proposals from the candidates. The new leader is set to be announced on 12 September.
More about the four candidates hoping to become the next Labour leader Ms Harman appeared to reject a call by frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn to allow those banned from voting the right of appeal.
Under new rules, members of the public could sign up to vote in the Labour leadership contest for £3, leading to a major boost in support for the party but sparking fears of infiltration and mischief-making. 'Trotskyites and Greens'
No legal challenge Mr Corbyn has said the party should welcome the influx of new supporters from other parties, such as the Greens, "because that's how party's grow", and he said some had been unfairly banned.
More than 160,000 people signed up to vote in the final days before the registration deadline, bringing the total size of the electorate to 610,000. He has also rejected as "nonsense" claims of widespread Conservative infiltration, amid reports Tory activists had signed up to vote for him because they believe he would be a disaster for Labour.
Party officials are working round the clock to weed out people who support other parties - but there have also been complaints that people are being unfairly excluded. Ms Harman rejected suggestions the party was attempting to weed out far-left supporters of Mr Corbyn, thousands of whom are thought to have signed up to vote for him.
Some Conservative activists have admitted signing up to vote for left winger Jeremy Corbyn, who they believe would be bad for Labour. She said the process was strictly impartial but voters had to support the party's aims and values, which are set out in Clause IV of its rule book.
But Mr Corbyn has rejected as "nonsense" claims of widespread Tory infiltration, and he said left-wing supporters of other parties who had been banned from voting should have a "right of appeal". "If people don't support the Labour Party's aims and values, whether they don't support them because they are Tories or because they are Trotskyites or whether they are Greens... they don't get a vote," she said.
"Are there any Tory infiltrators? I think there has been a lot of nonsense in the papers - 600,000 people have either joined the Labour Party or signed up as supporters, we should be pleased about that," he said at a BBC Radio 5 live hustings in Stevenage. Under new party rules introduced last year, members of the public could sign up to vote in the Labour leadership contest for £3. More than 160,000 people signed up to vote in the final days before the registration deadline, bringing the total size of the electorate to 610,000.
"There are a few Tory MPs I understand tried to register, got rejected. End of story." Two panels made up of members of Labour's national executive have been given the job of vetting new sign-ups.
He said the Labour Party should welcome supporters of other parties, such as the Greens, "because that's how parties grow". Leadership contender Andy Burnham said he believed there was a problem with infiltrators, but confirmed that he would not attempt to challenge the result in court even if he was narrowly defeated.
Leadership rival Andy Burnham said he believed there was a problem, but confirmed that he would not attempt to challenge the result in court even if he was narrowly defeated.
"I wouldn't want to overstate this whole issue, but there is some evidence that Tories are signed up to vote," he told the audience in Stevenage."I wouldn't want to overstate this whole issue, but there is some evidence that Tories are signed up to vote," he told the audience in Stevenage.
Female leader
Yvette Cooper said candidates should not be involved in how the contest was being run and it was up to the Labour Party to make sure it was a robust process.Yvette Cooper said candidates should not be involved in how the contest was being run and it was up to the Labour Party to make sure it was a robust process.
The fourth candidate, Liz Kendall, agreed, saying it was important to exclude anybody who had actively campaigned against the Labour Party.The fourth candidate, Liz Kendall, agreed, saying it was important to exclude anybody who had actively campaigned against the Labour Party.
Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister John Prescott says the contest could end up splitting the party. Mr Burnham triggered murmurs of protest during the debate for suggesting Labour should have a woman leader only "when the time was right".
Analysis He quickly clarified that he had meant when the "right candidate" came along.
By Ross Hawkins, BBC political correspondent The shadow health secretary also indicated that he would not serve on the Labour frontbench if the party's policy was to scrap Trident or leave Nato - positions backed by Mr Corbyn.
Time after time, Labour officials have insisted that the leadership election is robust, and some involved in fighting the contest have made clear that they fear it could be deeply flawed. "Those would not be policies that I could support. I would not support a policy to leave Nato," he said.
They argue as Andy Burnham's campaign manager Michael Dugher did last week, that a failure now could lead to a legal challenge later. 'Gang of four'
Some insist data obtained when Labour teams canvassed voters during the election should be used to help weed out opponents of the party who have secured ballot papers, a proposal that so far has been rejected. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister John Prescott has warned the contest could end up splitting the party.
Others worry that valid voters could be deprived of a say by over-zealous officials.
But there is another concern - that a process designed to enthuse new supporters could see a debate about policies overshadowed by a bitter dispute about the conduct of this election.
Lord Prescott, speaking at a rally for Andy Burnham, compared former leadership contender Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt to the so-called "Gang of Four" MPs who left the party to form the SDP in 1981.Lord Prescott, speaking at a rally for Andy Burnham, compared former leadership contender Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt to the so-called "Gang of Four" MPs who left the party to form the SDP in 1981.
Mr Umunna and Mr Hunt have established the "Labour for the Common Good" group to look at how it can win back power.Mr Umunna and Mr Hunt have established the "Labour for the Common Good" group to look at how it can win back power.
Lord Prescott said their actions were making him "more than worried" that the party could be heading for a repeat of the 1981 split.Lord Prescott said their actions were making him "more than worried" that the party could be heading for a repeat of the 1981 split.
And ex-Labour cabinet minister Charles Clarke has described the leadership contest as a "disaster".And ex-Labour cabinet minister Charles Clarke has described the leadership contest as a "disaster".
He told Newsnight the new voting rules brought in by former Labour leader Ed Miliband "were a mistake and many people argued that at the time".He told Newsnight the new voting rules brought in by former Labour leader Ed Miliband "were a mistake and many people argued that at the time".
Labour leadership contestLabour leadership contest