The validation of the new members by the Labour Party is a mess. You’d think with the number of Lawyers and Trade Unionists on the NEC that they would understand the principles of natural justice and the law. I don’t think it’s bent, and I think there’s a large number of people of good will working on this but the lack of transparency is worrying and its a story that won’t go away.
I have instructed those who’ll listen that there must be evidence, it must be recent, it must be evaluated by two people. (It must also be legally obtained, this is so obvious that I didn’t bother to put it in writing. I have now. )
To become a registered supporter, one needs to sign a declaration that one supports the aims and values of the Labour Party and not support an organisation in opposition to it. This needs to be done truthfully, otherwise it’s fraud.
The £3 fee is an administration fee, we are not transactionally selling the vote. It’s the signature of the commitment that gets the vote, not the payment of the fee.
Perhaps the Labour Party should consider suing organisations and individuals that participated in a conspiracy to commit fraud by suggesting signing the declaration without commitment.
We have high profile rejections like Mark Steel and Jeremy Hardy, both of whom are making a hell of a lot of noise, but I can’t see what evidence there exists to suggest that they support an organisation in opposition to Labour and the danger exists that less well known people with weaker voices are being excluded unjustly.
It seems that Jeremy Hardy performed a benefit for Caroline Lucas during the General Election.
Why haven’t Steel & Hardy joined as Affiliate Members?
I argued during re-founding Labour in 2010 that the membership fees are too high.