Five Labour members raised money through crowdfunding to challenge this decision and the case was successful, in part because the judge agreed the Labour website contained a sentence promising that all new members would be allowed a vote in any leadership election at the time the individuals joined the party.
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Labour’s national executive committee ruled last month that members who had joined the party since January 12 would not be eligible to vote, a decision which local media reported would exclude as many as 130,000 new members, unless they paid a further 25 pounds ($32) to register as a party supporter.
The NEC decided that full members would not be able to vote if they had not had at least six months’ continuous membership up to July 12 – the “freeze date”.
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. Last week, millionaire Michael Foster lost his legal attempt to prevent Labour members from being able to vote for the incumbent in the leadership election, by preventing Corbyn’s name from automatically being on the ballot.
Other backers directly bringing the legal action included Christine Evangelou, Rev Edward Leir and Chris Granger.
Labour’s national executive committee ruled that party members who joined after January 12 would not be eligible to vote.
Corbyn’s visit follows a private rally held by his challenger Owen Smith at The Station on Silver Street which attracted 200 supporters last week.
But Mr Justice Hickinbottom ruled the six-month “freeze date” was unlawful, underlining that he had reached a “firm decision” that the NEC had exceeded its powers.
For Hannah Fordham, one of the five new members, the reason for the NEC’s decision is ultimately irrelevant.
And Washington and Sunderland West Labour MP Sharon Hodgson said she believed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell were enjoying the confusion engulfing the party.
“Here we have paid officials going into court to stop Labour Party members exercising their democratic rights”.
“As the next Labour Prime Minister, I would introduce radical plans to deliver the biggest increase in living standards in a generation”.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “We think it is morally wrong for the party to set member against member, and squander £200,000 plus of party members’ hard-earned money, on an appeal which it is doomed lose”.
The five new party members claimed they had been “frozen out” of the leadership contest.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn’s leadership campaign said it showed “a desire for real and genuine change in our party”.
‘We say they have been wrongly excluded by breach of contract from the right to vote.
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Labour is in deep crisis with Corbyn popular among the party’s grassroots, but sharply at odds with an overwhelming majority of Labour MPs.
