Legal bid to remove Corbyn from ballot paper fails
JEREMY CORBYN has described the attempt by a Labour Party donor to overturn his automatic inclusion on the upcoming leadership ballot paper as a “waste of time”.
Labour’s National Executive Committee ruled in June that Mr Corbyn should be included on the ballot paper which will be sent to members in August without having to seek nominations from MPs.
However, donor Michael Foster, who brought the case against the party’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, who was sued in a representative capacity, and Mr Corbyn, claimed that the Labour Party’s rules were “misapplied”.
He said the NEC was wrong when it voted by a majority of 18 to 14 that Mr Corbyn should automatically go on the ballot paper without needing to obtain the backing of 20 per cent of Labour MPs and MEPs.
At London’s High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Foskett dismissed Mr Foster’s claim.
Mr Corbyn said: “I welcome the decision by the High Court to respect the democracy of the Labour Party.
“This has been a waste of time and resources when our party should be focused on holding the Government to account.
“There should have been no question of the right of half a million Labour Party members to choose their own leader being overturned. If anything, the aim should be to expand the number of voters in this election.
“I hope all candidates and supporters will reject any attempt to prolong this process, and that we can now proceed with the election in a comradely and respectful manner.”
Mr Corbyn is defending his position as leader against Welsh MP and former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith, with the result announced in late September.
Mr Smith appeared at a campaign rally in Leeds last night.