Hard-Left accused of conspiracy to buy votes
HARD-left activists have been accused of buying votes for Jeremy Corbyn by paying the fees of supporters in direct contravention of Labour rules.
People who have not been members of Labour for more than six months have to pay £25 to sign up as ‘registered supporters’ if they wish to affect the leadership battle’s outcome.
More than 180,000 people have done so, sparking fears among moderates that the extreme left is attempting to flood the vote.
Now it has emerged that many of these may have had their £25 voting fees paid for by left-wing groups in return for a promise to support Mr Corbyn against Owen Smith – his more centrist challenger.
In addition, Unite, the hard-left union, has been organising phone banks to drum up support for the present Labour leader – an intervention which has drawn the criticism of Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson.
The union’s canvassing was advertised on the website of Momentum, the ‘grassroots’ organisation established last year to campaign for Mr Corbyn’s style of politics. Under the headline ‘Calling for Corbyn at Unite’, it says: ‘every day at Unite the Union from 10am to 8pm, we will be hosting a fun evening of phone banking to support the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
‘There will be refreshment and biscuits. After canvassing, we’ll be heading to the pub.
‘Please come along for any period of time you are available.’
Meanwhile, hard-left activists have set up groups called ‘Gimme 25’ and ‘Hardship fund’ to match people who need the £25 fee with those who can pay for it.
And in Thanet in Kent, a Momentum activist accused of antiSemitism has teamed up with extreme-left stalwart Bunny La Roche to buy votes for Mr Corbyn.
Jacqueline Walker, who was briefly suspended from Labour for saying Jewish people financed the slave trade, posted on Facebook that she had ‘sponsored’ a voter for the election.
In an exchange of messages on the social networking site, Miss La Roche offers to provide potential voters for the Labour leadership election with the names and details of those willing to pay the £25 fee in return for a vote for Mr Corbyn.
Another Corbyn supporter, Jenny King, wrote: ‘I too will gladly spon- sor someone for £25 to vote for Jeremy Corbyn to remain as Labour leader, but I would prefer to pay by cheque please.
‘Can someone set up a Thanet Momentum sponsorship fund for this perhaps?’
Another, Ruth Forward, said: ‘I will also sponsor someone – let me know what I have to do. Can I pay online?’
emily Cavaliere posted: ‘I’d like to offer to sponsor someone who wants to vote for Jeremy but would really struggle with the ridiculous £25 fee.’
Last night Chris Wells, the leader of the South Thanet branch of Ukip, said: ‘During many recent elections there have been frequent suspicions as to how the Labour Party locally have manipulated postal votes during electoral processes.
‘Here we have clear, simple evidence of money changing hands in return for votes, directly involving the leaders of the local so-called “democracy campaigners”.
‘Most genuine Labour voters are appalled at the brazen tactics of the champagne socialists in buying votes, and their utter contempt for any electoral process they encounter which looks unlikely to deliver their brand of extreme politics.’
The electoral Commission, a public body which oversees general and local elections, will not have a role in monitoring Labour’s internal leadership election.
It is believed that electoral Reform Services, a firm that carries out polls for political parties, unions and companies, will be involved in sending out ballot papers for the leadership votes, as happened last year.
‘Utter contempt for electoral process’
Opposition politicians wished Labour MPs a ‘happy civil war’ yesterday as they left for Parliament’s summer break. SNP Commons leader Pete Wishart mocked the official Opposition’s internal divides, with the contest between Mr Smith and Mr Corbyn expected to dominate the agenda in the coming weeks.
He told Commons Speaker John Bercow: ‘Can I wish you and all the staff a fantastic recess.’
To laughter, Mr Wishart added: ‘Can I also say, Mr Speaker, have a happy civil war to my friends in the Labour Party over the summer. I don’t know what we’re going to be returning to – whether it’s just going to be one Labour Party or have a social democratic and Blairite party emerging from these benches.’ His SNP colleagues cheered as Mr Wishart added: ‘All I can say is we’ll be back as the real and effective opposition.’