Labour chiefs face a post-election challenge over alleged irregularities in the procedures for selecting candidates in a handful of general election seats.
The latest controversy follows the imposition by the ruling National Executive Committee of former MP Chris Leslie for Nottingham East (Labour majority 6,939).
Mr Leslie, who was elected for Shipley just before his 25th birthday in 1997 and lost to the Tories in 2005, was chosen from a panel of nine candidates. He beat Byron Taylor, national officer of the trade union and Labour organising committee, by a vote of three to two of the special selections panel.
Earlier the NEC had decided to impose a candidate rather than allow constituency members to make a choice by eight votes to seven, with the deciding vote cast by Gordon Brown.
NEC members are to demand a report on an inquiry which took place into the tampering of a ballot box in the Erith and Thamesmead selection after claims that 22-year-old Georgia Gould, daughter of Tony Blair’s pollster Philip (Lord) Gould was being “parachuted” into the seat. Local activist Theresa Pearce was eventually chosen. Police were involved and forensic evidence taken, but no outcome has been reported to the NEC.
A rash of resignations by officers has followed the selection of Tristram Hunt in a BNP target seat where there are rumours that a new political grouping may be formed.
