New members will NOT be able to vote in Labour leadership contest

Around 130,000 new Labour members will be blocked from voting in the leadership election (Picture: PA Wire)

Labour’s ruling body has won its bid to overturn a High Court decision allowing new party members to vote in the forthcoming leadership election.

 
Around 130,000 new Labour members, most of whom are thought to be supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, had been given the right to vote in the upcoming leadership contest following a legal challenge.
Labour’s ruling body, the NEC, had previously said that any member who joined the party after January 12 would not be allowed to take part.

Today, the NEC successfully appealed the decision to allow new members to vote. The Court of Appeal ruled that Labour’s ruling body did have the power to set a ‘freeze’ date and was therefore entitled to block the 130,000 new members from voting in the election.

The lawyers representing the Labour members who brought the initial challenge to the High Court say they intend to try to have the Supreme Court overturn the appeal next week.
Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team said the Court of Appeal ruling was ‘the wrong decision – both legally and democratically’.

Source: Metro.co.uk