Shortly after it was annouced Labour would be appealing the judgement, he added: “This is a deeply disappointing decision by a small clique of people behind closed doors, many of whom have openly expressed their opposition to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, who are now trying to use Labour members’ money to fund what they think is a further attack on Jeremy”.
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Members of the Lincoln Labour Party have given a resounding vote of confidence to under pressure leader Jeremy Corbyn, nominating him by a overwhelming margin.
But Smith said that in light of the ruling, the date for the leadership poll should be extended.
“When the NEC voted to deny my vote I was angry and astonished at the lack of respect for members and internal democracy”.
The NEC decided on the six-month qualification period – similar to a rule operated by the Conservative Party – at a stormy meeting last month at which it was decided that Mr Corbyn was entitled to an automatic place on the ballot and did not have gather the signatures of 50 Labour MPs.
Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has pledged to get more Sikhs into Parliament after being a guest of the community during a campaign visit to Birmingham.
Labour’s lawyers were given permission to appeal the decision by the judge, meaning the ruling could still be overturned although Mr Justice Hickinbottom said he did not want to give Labour’s QC “false hope” of winning.
Numerous new members who were excluded later paid £25 and signed up again as registered Labour supporters in order to vote in the leadership election. “For those reasons the claimants’ claim succeeds”.
“We are now calling on the Labour Party bureaucracy to act sensibly and play by the rules for the rest of this leadership election”, he said.
Five new Labour members won their case against the party’s application of a six month freeze on eligibility to vote.
But Mr Justice Hickinbottom, sitting in London, ruled that refusing the five the vote “would be unlawful as in breach of contract”. The fifth was named in the court papers only as FM because he is under 18.
To gain the right to vote, members were given a window of opportunity, between July 18 and 20, to become “registered supporters” on payment of an additional fee of £25.
John Smith, general secretary of the union, says: “I am pleased that the EC [executive committee] has voted to endorse a candidate who has been such a good friend to the union over the past few years. The judge could see that the decision not to allow these five members – and the tens of thousands on whose behalf they brought this action – [a vote] was wrong in principle and wrong in law”.
He is to say: “I will not allow the United Kingdom to fall coughing and spluttering out of the European Union door”.
The High Court said the NEC’s decision amounted to a breach of contract, in a ruling that would increase the voter base by around a quarter. “I am not sure I am convinced that the contrary is arguable”.
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Coun Robert Sharp is the vice-chairman of the Loughborough CLP said around 100 people came to hear MR Smith outline his future vision for Labour.
