Unite is paying legal fees for Labour five

LEN MCCLUSKEY’S Unite union is paying the legal fees of five people accused of leaking a dossier that sought to protect Jeremy Corbyn from Labour’s antisemitism crisis.

Labour’s former director of governance, Emilie Oldknow, has launched a High Court case to force the party to reveal the identities of the five, so that she can bring claims for defamation and misuse of private information.

The leaked dossier contained hundreds of private messages and more than 500 references to her.

Labour’s legal representative said it was ready to disclose its internal evidence to allow the leakers to be identified. But the party has said it wanted to remain neutral and did not wish to offer “subjective opinion on who is legally liable”.

On Monday, the five, who have denied being behind the leak, attempted to present their case at the same hearing.

Their barrister, Jacob Dean, confirmed to the judge that the five’s legal representation by the firm Carter Ruck was being funded by Len McCluskey’s Unite union. A Unite spokesman said: “Unite is disappointed that the court has ruled we cannot be a party to the proceedings.

“Upholding the employment rights of all of our members is central to Unite’s core values.”