This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/i-helped-weed-out-impostors-in-the-labour-leadership-vote-and-this-is-how-we-did-it-10491994.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| I helped weed out impostors in the Labour leadership vote and this is how we did it | I helped weed out impostors in the Labour leadership vote and this is how we did it |
| (4 months later) | |
| Our local Labour Party achieved its modest target of increasing membership to 200 by the General Election. | Our local Labour Party achieved its modest target of increasing membership to 200 by the General Election. |
| None of us expected the deluge of over 350 new members and supporters since then. | None of us expected the deluge of over 350 new members and supporters since then. |
| Some of our longstanding members have been worried that mischief makers, from Tories to the far-left, might be joining to sabotage the leadership election process. | Some of our longstanding members have been worried that mischief makers, from Tories to the far-left, might be joining to sabotage the leadership election process. |
| We were already aware of such dirty tricks when we tracked down a Tory supporter who posted a selfie on Facebook with the boast that “Our Conservative MP asked me to gatecrash on the Malvern Labour Party campaign launch and see what it’s up to”. | We were already aware of such dirty tricks when we tracked down a Tory supporter who posted a selfie on Facebook with the boast that “Our Conservative MP asked me to gatecrash on the Malvern Labour Party campaign launch and see what it’s up to”. |
| Despite these concerns, we are delighted to see such a surge in local membership and wholeheartedly welcome the call by the party to confirm that they are genuine Labour supporters. | Despite these concerns, we are delighted to see such a surge in local membership and wholeheartedly welcome the call by the party to confirm that they are genuine Labour supporters. |
| A number are known to us as previous members or affiliated Trade Unionists who pay the political levy. | A number are known to us as previous members or affiliated Trade Unionists who pay the political levy. |
| We also recognised that many of the joiners are previously disaffected Labour voters who, shocked by the appalling outcome in May, have returned to their roots. | We also recognised that many of the joiners are previously disaffected Labour voters who, shocked by the appalling outcome in May, have returned to their roots. |
| However, the right to vote is only for those who support the Labour Party so we wanted to weed out any professed members or declared supporters of other parties. | However, the right to vote is only for those who support the Labour Party so we wanted to weed out any professed members or declared supporters of other parties. |
| This includes people who had been, or had nominated, candidates who stood against Labour in May. | This includes people who had been, or had nominated, candidates who stood against Labour in May. |
| How are we doing this? We are using our established network of local member contacts with their sound knowledge of activists in their wards. | How are we doing this? We are using our established network of local member contacts with their sound knowledge of activists in their wards. |
| We are checking our election canvassing records including Facebook, email and twitter accounts. We are examining lists of candidates and their nominators. | We are checking our election canvassing records including Facebook, email and twitter accounts. We are examining lists of candidates and their nominators. |
| Where significant doubts remain, we are validating individual addresses and contact details. | Where significant doubts remain, we are validating individual addresses and contact details. |
| Whilst the great majority are genuine, we have reported to the Labour Party people who stood against us in May, their nominators, people with unconfirmed contact details and double entries | Whilst the great majority are genuine, we have reported to the Labour Party people who stood against us in May, their nominators, people with unconfirmed contact details and double entries |
| Of more than 350 new members and supporters, we have only queried a handful as possibly suspicious. These we report to the Labour membership team who decide whether they should be rejected or not - it is their decision and not ours at local level. | Of more than 350 new members and supporters, we have only queried a handful as possibly suspicious. These we report to the Labour membership team who decide whether they should be rejected or not - it is their decision and not ours at local level. |
| A significant gain is that the leadership election process has given us a much broader membership. We are building on this by organising a series of social and political events to shape and promote Labour values and policies both locally and nationally. | A significant gain is that the leadership election process has given us a much broader membership. We are building on this by organising a series of social and political events to shape and promote Labour values and policies both locally and nationally. |
| We are building on this by organising a series of social and political events to shape and promote Labour values and policies both locally and nationally. |