by René Lavanchy
A senior aide to Gordon Brown has refused to confirm or deny several allegations that he is breaking Labour Party rules in order to win a parliamentary selection.
John Woodcock, a special adviser in the Downing Street media team, is one of five shortlisted candidates to become the candidate for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria at the next election, when incumbent MP John Hutton steps down.
But several activists have accused him of colluding with party staff to gain an unfair advantage over the other candidates, and of breaking rules by sending postal vote applications to party members not eligible to use them.
Tribune has established that more than one quarter of the constituency’s 200-plus registered party members will be voting by postal ballot, despite Labour Party rules stating that they are only for voters physically unable to vote in person.
One rival candidate commented: “I don’t think that 25 per cent of the electorate is going to be in hospital or on holiday in October.”
“There’s no doubt about it. John Woodcock is being backed by Labour staff members, who people have to complain to when they cheat.”
In a letter to general secretary Ray Collins last month, local branch party secretary Colin Pickthall said Mr Woodcock “clearly had a copy of the [constituency] membership list” well in advance. “Mr Woodcock had about one month’s campaigning advantage over any other possible contender”, he wrote, adding that constituency Labour Party officers were telling people the selection was “already decided”.
Mr Woodcock declined Tribune’s request to answer the allegations, having previously denied that the party “machine” was helping him in an interview with the North West Evening Mail.
The final vote is on October 24.
