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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Labour leadership: Mark Serwotka of PCS union has vote rejected | Labour leadership: Mark Serwotka of PCS union has vote rejected |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The leader of one of the UK's biggest trade unions has had his vote in the Labour leadership election rejected. | The leader of one of the UK's biggest trade unions has had his vote in the Labour leadership election rejected. |
| Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, voted for Jeremy Corbyn, but was told his vote would not be counted. | Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, voted for Jeremy Corbyn, but was told his vote would not be counted. |
| Mr Serwotka has previously publicly criticised Labour's "move rightwards". | Mr Serwotka has previously publicly criticised Labour's "move rightwards". |
| Labour said it would not comment on individual cases but said people "who don't share the aims or values of the Labour Party don't get a vote". | Labour said it would not comment on individual cases but said people "who don't share the aims or values of the Labour Party don't get a vote". |
| Meanwhile, Labour has decided it will now allow data collected by campaigners knocking on doors during the general election to check the views of voters, the BBC understands. | |
| '#LabourPurge' | '#LabourPurge' |
| The PCS, which represents civil servants, is not affiliated to the Labour Party. | |
| Mr Serwotka's wife Ruth tweeted about the vote, saying: "Mark been prevented from voting in a Labour Movement election as an affiliated member. I'm very interested to hear the reasons. #LabourPurge." | Mr Serwotka's wife Ruth tweeted about the vote, saying: "Mark been prevented from voting in a Labour Movement election as an affiliated member. I'm very interested to hear the reasons. #LabourPurge." |
| In an interview with the New Statesman in 2011, he said he had voted for the Green Party in the 2010 election and added: "Growing up in Wales, it was Labour, Labour, Labour. But [since] its move rightwards and embrace of the markets, Labour doesn't speak for me." | In an interview with the New Statesman in 2011, he said he had voted for the Green Party in the 2010 election and added: "Growing up in Wales, it was Labour, Labour, Labour. But [since] its move rightwards and embrace of the markets, Labour doesn't speak for me." |
| Mr Serwotka is among 3,200 people who have so far been prevented from voting in the leadership election after signing up as affiliated members, with many more expected to follow. | Mr Serwotka is among 3,200 people who have so far been prevented from voting in the leadership election after signing up as affiliated members, with many more expected to follow. |
| Labour MP Ian Austin said "tens of thousands" of people who are members of other parties could be able to vote. | Labour MP Ian Austin said "tens of thousands" of people who are members of other parties could be able to vote. |
| Mr Austin - who was an aide to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown - said Labour officials had randomly sampled registered supporters, who had signed up to vote in the contest for £3, and that 4.4% had admitted they "actively supported" other parties. | Mr Austin - who was an aide to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown - said Labour officials had randomly sampled registered supporters, who had signed up to vote in the contest for £3, and that 4.4% had admitted they "actively supported" other parties. |
| 'Not thought through' | 'Not thought through' |
| "With hundreds of thousands of people joining, if 4.4% support other political parties, that could mean tens of thousands of our opponents are able to take part in this process. | "With hundreds of thousands of people joining, if 4.4% support other political parties, that could mean tens of thousands of our opponents are able to take part in this process. |
| "I don't think it's a very good advertisement for the Labour Party," he added. | "I don't think it's a very good advertisement for the Labour Party," he added. |
| The new system, which among other things made union members who want a vote in leadership contests sign up as affiliated supporters, was introduced last year by previous Labour leader Ed Miliband. | The new system, which among other things made union members who want a vote in leadership contests sign up as affiliated supporters, was introduced last year by previous Labour leader Ed Miliband. |
| Mr Austin suggested it had been a knee-jerk reaction to a candidate-selection scandal in Falkirk and had not been "thought through". | Mr Austin suggested it had been a knee-jerk reaction to a candidate-selection scandal in Falkirk and had not been "thought through". |
| It was voted through by an overwhelming majority of party members at a special Labour conference. | It was voted through by an overwhelming majority of party members at a special Labour conference. |
| But Labour officials have been under pressure from several leadership candidates to tighten up the vetting process for new supporters. | |
| Labour is now understood to have allowed canvas data to be used to vet voters, despite an internal committee previously rejecting such demands, the BBC's political correspondent Ross Hawkins said. | |
| The party's general secretary Iain McNicol is thought to have written to candidates about the change of heart earlier on Wednesday. | |
| It has also been agreed that the published results of the leadership election will be broken down into full members, affiliated supporters and registered supporters. | |