Voting restrictions could rig Labour leadership race, says McDonnell
![John McDonnell is a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn [Image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160716-McDonnell.png)
John McDonnell is a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn [Image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA].
Mr McDonnell goes on to say that the huge increase in membership should be a cause for rejoicing, not for restriction, and he’s right about that as well.
My own Labour branch has increased its membership to around five times its original number, thanks to Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader. The actions of the NEC mean some of those people might decide to drift away again.
That’s not good management.
John McDonnell has accused members of Labour’s national executive committee of attempting to rig the leadership contest by changing the rules to prevent more than 130,000 new members from voting.
The shadow chancellor, one of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest allies, said there was “widespread concern and anger” about the decision that only people who had joined the party before January this year could participate in the forthcoming leadership contest.
Speaking to the Guardian, he added: “And the decision to increase the fee to become a registered supporter from £3 last year to £25 this year – and to leave just 48 hours in which to sign up – both discriminates against the low waged, unemployed, students and the elderly and is an affront to Labour values.
“These decisions, taken by Labour’s national executive committee [NEC] this week, will be widely seen at best as turning our back on an open participatory party democracy, and at worst as an attempt to gerrymander and rig the leadership election.”
Source: John McDonnell: voting restrictions could rig Labour leadership race | Politics | The Guardian
ADVERT
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
I am excluded from the leadership vote because I joined, formally, on 31Jan 2016. Does 5his mean I am also denied the right to vote on the NEC?
My understanding is that you should be able to vote because anyone who became a member before June 24 is eligible.
now they are saying 12th January
Unfortunately not. Unless they’ve changed their minds in the past few hours, only people who joined before 12 Jan this year are eligible to vote. I joined in March and am unable to do so.
John McDonnell is right, it is gerrymandering and it’s appalling.
blairs arms are long
They are trying every trick in the book to rig the election.
On Facebook someone created a crowd fund to help the people who cannot afford the £25.00, which stood at £8,000 they have been told to close the page down & refund the money back to the people who donated. It is disgusting.
Utterly corrupt and disgusting behaviour.
But some one has said the NEC cannot tell the ordinary person in the street what to do with there own money.
That’s outrageous. How is it any of their business if people want to donate to allow others to be able to vote and still eat? I’ve seen the fund and it was clear that anyone who benefited was not being told which way to vote. Gits.
I also can’t vote in the NEC because I joined on 29 June. Again somethign that wasn’t explained before or after I joined, nowhere in evidence on any part of the Labour Party website, and only now evident since they came up with this plan to exclude so many from having a voice.
I’ve just voted in the NEC election. But I can’t vote for Party Leader, joined 31/1/16, which strikes me as illogical. I still don’t know if the NEC has the right to instigate a vote restriction. Anybody know what Rule they are relying on?
This is nothing but war and just goes to show what scum we have in the Labour Party when the tail wags the dog
This is democracy for sale. Outrageous!