FIVE new members of the Labour Party have won a High Court battle over their legal right to vote in the forthcoming leadership election.
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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.
Labour was given permission to appeal the decision.
The judge said that at the time each of them joined the party “it was the common understanding, as reflected in the rule book, that, if they joined the party prior to the election process commencing, as new members they would be entitled to vote in any leadership contest”.
The judgement is expected to allow 130,000 Labour members now to be able to vote, many of them Corbyn supporters.
The Labour Party leader will be hoping for similar scenes to Liverpool last week when over 5,000 gathered in support of his re-election bid.
But Mr Justice Hickinbottom ruled that refusing the five the vote “would be unlawful as in breach of contract”.
Kate Harrison, solicitor for the claimants, said that overall the ruling could affect up to 150,000 members.
“Now many more members will have the chance to vote in the leadership election, I am today calling for an extension of the timetable so that all members have the opportunity to engage with Jeremy and me before making their choice”.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who is chairing Jeremy for Labour, said: “This is a huge victory for Labour Party members and party democracy”.
Labour’s ruling NEC initially decided anyone who joined the party after January 12 would be barred in a bod to prevent “entryism” but that decision has now been overturned.
Two weeks ago the High Court ruled in favour of the Labour party and the NEC to keep Jeremy Corbyn on the ballot without having to seek nominations from his MPs – upholding the authority of the party’s governing body.
They are Christine Evangelou, Rev Edward Leir, Hannah Fordham, Chris Granger and “FM”, a new member aged under 18 who is bringing an additional challenge through his mother on the grounds of age discrimination. If it is taken forwards, the Party will be using members’ money to try to stop members from voting.
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It is the second union in a few days to back the challenger rather than Mr Corbyn, following support last week from the steelworkers’ union Community.
