Party members who joined after Corbyn demand voting rights

ALMOST 100 Birmingham Labour Party members are demanding the right to help choose the candidates who will battle it out for council seats next year.

The surge of members who joined the party following the emergence of Jeremy Corbyn as leader in 2015 have all been blocked from taking part in candidate selections. National Labour rules set a six-month membership probation before full voting rights are established, but some being barred in Birmingham have almost two years of continuous membership.

They also point out they were allowed to vote in both the 2015 and 2016 national Labour leadership elections won by Mr Corbyn,

A Labour Party board, which meets this Friday (March 17) to start the process of selecting Birmingham candidates, has been urged to reconsider the cut-off in a letter signed by the members.

Member Sue Payne, of Hall Green branch, said: “I feel very upset, that as a very active member of the local Labour Party and on the branch executive, I won’t be able to have a vote in our branch’s selection of its Labour candidate for the next council elections in 2018.

“I hope the Birmingham board agree to change the freeze date and enable members like me to fully participate in the Labour party.”

Another, Michael Thawe of Edgbaston, added: “All we want in our party is democracy and for the Birmingham board to play by the rules. It is not fair that when people signed up and paid their subs that they are then treated like second class members. It’s just not right.”

The members also suggested that if their wishes were ignored they may well not be so enthusiastic in campaigning for both this year’s mayoral race and council elections.

Disgruntled members are to stage a protest outside the Council House this Friday, where the board is meeting.

The Labour Party refused to respond to the issue merely saying: “Labour Party candidates are selected according to Labour Party rules by eligible local Labour Party members”.