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| Losing candidate claims supporters were bullied during Labour NEC vote | Losing candidate claims supporters were bullied during Labour NEC vote |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A union-backed Labour candidate who lost a crucial election to the party’s ruling body by one vote has claimed that the contest was riddled with irregularities and influenced by bullying, intimidation and smear tactics. | A union-backed Labour candidate who lost a crucial election to the party’s ruling body by one vote has claimed that the contest was riddled with irregularities and influenced by bullying, intimidation and smear tactics. |
| In a formal complaint to the party obtained by the Guardian, James Elliott, who was supported by Unite, says last weekend’s election to become the party’s youth representative on the national executive committee should be suspended. | |
| Elliott, an Oxford University history graduate, was beaten by Jasmin Beckett, the Labour First-backed candidate, at a febrile Labour Youth conference in Scarborough. Beckett won with 49.55% of the vote, beating Elliott on 49.41%. | |
| The position on the NEC has become highly sought-after because of the internal struggle between the party’s right and left to control its ruling council. | The position on the NEC has become highly sought-after because of the internal struggle between the party’s right and left to control its ruling council. |
| Labour has launched an inquiry into the claims, led by Baroness Royall. | Labour has launched an inquiry into the claims, led by Baroness Royall. |
| But despite the inquiry, solicitors for Elliott have on Tuesday written to Iain McNicol, the party’s general secretary, claiming that Elliott’s supporters were stopped from voting by party officials, some of whom were supporters of Beckett. | |
| The letter claims: | |
| • One supporter for Elliott was refused an opportunity to register due to being 20 minutes late to the conference because of an unexpected hospital visit. The delegate claims a party official told him he would only be eligible to cast his vote if had he been in “a train crash”. | • One supporter for Elliott was refused an opportunity to register due to being 20 minutes late to the conference because of an unexpected hospital visit. The delegate claims a party official told him he would only be eligible to cast his vote if had he been in “a train crash”. |
| • Another delegate claimed he was “bullied and harassed” by Beckett’s supporters, forcing him to leave the conference venue. | • Another delegate claimed he was “bullied and harassed” by Beckett’s supporters, forcing him to leave the conference venue. |
| • Another eligible delegate who supported Elliott was denied a ballot paper without being given a valid reason. | • Another eligible delegate who supported Elliott was denied a ballot paper without being given a valid reason. |
| • Six other Elliott-supporting delegates were ruled rejected by the returning officer, without a proper reason being given. | • Six other Elliott-supporting delegates were ruled rejected by the returning officer, without a proper reason being given. |
| • Named Labour party staff members canvassed for Beckett before the election, in breach of party rules. | • Named Labour party staff members canvassed for Beckett before the election, in breach of party rules. |
| • Elliott’s demand for a recount was denied by a Labour official and “no valid reasons were offered for the denial” and there was no review of many spoilt ballot papers. | • Elliott’s demand for a recount was denied by a Labour official and “no valid reasons were offered for the denial” and there was no review of many spoilt ballot papers. |
| The letter also refers to an outstanding complaint sent to the party last week by a Scottish delegate which claimed that Beckett had wrongly smeared Elliott as antisemitic and encouraged her supporters to smear him on social media. | The letter also refers to an outstanding complaint sent to the party last week by a Scottish delegate which claimed that Beckett had wrongly smeared Elliott as antisemitic and encouraged her supporters to smear him on social media. |
| “In these circumstances, it is unthinkable that the winner of the election, Jasmin Beckett, should take up her seat on the NEC pending a full and comprehensive inquiry into the lead-up to and the circumstances of the election,” the letter concludes. | “In these circumstances, it is unthinkable that the winner of the election, Jasmin Beckett, should take up her seat on the NEC pending a full and comprehensive inquiry into the lead-up to and the circumstances of the election,” the letter concludes. |
| Beckett has not responded to a request for a comment. | Beckett has not responded to a request for a comment. |
| However, writing for the Labour List website, Beckett said the complaints needed to be investigated and that the weekend’s conference was not “our movement at its best”. She continued: “Factionalism, grievance and outside interference from people who were neither young nor delegates made it difficult for too many. This has got to stop. | However, writing for the Labour List website, Beckett said the complaints needed to be investigated and that the weekend’s conference was not “our movement at its best”. She continued: “Factionalism, grievance and outside interference from people who were neither young nor delegates made it difficult for too many. This has got to stop. |
| “I am a working-class woman from Liverpool … Growing up, life did not seem fair. I got angry. I got into fights. And eventually I was expelled from school. I ran away from home and was taken back to my mum by the police. Wirral Young Labour taught me that the anger I felt at society could be channelled into fighting for social justice.” | “I am a working-class woman from Liverpool … Growing up, life did not seem fair. I got angry. I got into fights. And eventually I was expelled from school. I ran away from home and was taken back to my mum by the police. Wirral Young Labour taught me that the anger I felt at society could be channelled into fighting for social justice.” |