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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Daily Telegraph urges readers to 'doom' Labour by backing Jeremy Corbyn | Daily Telegraph urges readers to 'doom' Labour by backing Jeremy Corbyn |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Daily Telegraph has encouraged readers to register as Labour supporters and vote for the leftwing Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to “destroy” the party. | |
| The piece by the Telegraph comment desk which appeared on the calls on readers to pay £3 and vote to ensure Corbyn becomes the next Labour leader. It was published online alongside a report on a poll that suggests the leftwinger is ahead in the race to succeed Ed Miliband. | |
| Readers are provided with a step-by-step guide on how to sign up as a registered supporter and vote for Corbyn, who according to private polling seen by the New Statesman is 15 points ahead. | Readers are provided with a step-by-step guide on how to sign up as a registered supporter and vote for Corbyn, who according to private polling seen by the New Statesman is 15 points ahead. |
| “Sign up today to make sure the bearded socialist voter-repellent becomes the next Labour leader - and dooms the party forever,” the Telegraph article reads. | “Sign up today to make sure the bearded socialist voter-repellent becomes the next Labour leader - and dooms the party forever,” the Telegraph article reads. |
| “A lot of people, both in the Labour Party and outside it, think that would be dreadful for Labour, the sort of political disaster the party last suffered in 1983 when Michael Foot’s Left-wing views saw the party lose by a landslide to Margaret Thatcher’s Conservatives. | |
| “Not everyone thinks it would be a bad thing if that was to be repeated at the next general election in 2020.” | |
| Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, described the article as cynical and warned against undermining the democratic process. | Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, described the article as cynical and warned against undermining the democratic process. |
| “It’s a shame that as parties take steps in trying to open up politics to include more supporters and members of the public in sharing big decisions, it has not taken long for a cynical attempt to distort that and sabotage a genuine effort,” Hughes said. | “It’s a shame that as parties take steps in trying to open up politics to include more supporters and members of the public in sharing big decisions, it has not taken long for a cynical attempt to distort that and sabotage a genuine effort,” Hughes said. |
| “This is not party specific. It’s important you don’t undermine faith in the democratic process, whichever party is concerned.” | “This is not party specific. It’s important you don’t undermine faith in the democratic process, whichever party is concerned.” |
| During the general election, the Telegraph took its support for the Conservatives a step further by using its marketing database to urge people to vote Tory via email in a missive signed by the newspaper’s editor, Chris Evans. | During the general election, the Telegraph took its support for the Conservatives a step further by using its marketing database to urge people to vote Tory via email in a missive signed by the newspaper’s editor, Chris Evans. |
| Labour said it can readily screen bogus applications and has already rejected registration requests from Conservatives. | Labour said it can readily screen bogus applications and has already rejected registration requests from Conservatives. |
| Related: Jeremy Corbyn announces £10bn plan to scrap university tuition fees | |
| A Labour party spokesman said: “All registered supporters must be verified against the electoral register and will only receive a vote if they support the aims and values of the Labour party.” | A Labour party spokesman said: “All registered supporters must be verified against the electoral register and will only receive a vote if they support the aims and values of the Labour party.” |
| The leadership election, triggered by Miliband’s resignation on 8 May, will happen under rules agreed by the 2014 Collins Review, which changed the way in which Labour elects leaders. | |
| A three-way electoral college system was under the old rules, which gave equal weight to member, parliamentarian and the trade union and affiliated societies sections. | |
| Candidates will now be elected by members, and registered and affiliated supporters, who will all receive a maximum of one vote – known as the one member one vote (OMOV) system. | |
| According to the New Statesman, private polling leaked to the magazine reveals that one survey puts Corbyn ahead by more than 15 points, while another puts him in what a campaign staffer called “a commanding position”. | |
| Andy Burnham is said to be ahead in first preferences, but Corbyn’s popularity among second preferences would allow him to claim victory under Labour’s preferential voting system. | |
| However, caution has been urged following the wide inaccuracies of polls during the general election. According to “private numbers”, Labour was on course to be the largest party at May’s election and the Liberal Democrats to retain more than 30 seats. | |
| The Telegraph Media Group has been approached for comment. | The Telegraph Media Group has been approached for comment. |