Labour Unite Row: Tories Ask For Met Probe

The Tories have moved to pile more pressure on Labour by asking police to investigate the party's selection processes in another two constituencies.

Tory vice-chairman Bob Neill wrote to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe about allegations of potential fraud in Ilford North and Lewisham Deptford, both in Greater London.

Labour has already given evidence to police in Scotland relating to claims that the Unite union tried to fix the result of a candidate selection in Falkirk by packing the constituency with members, whose subscriptions it paid.

Mr Neill described Falkirk as "the tip of the iceberg", noting that a leaked Unite document suggested the union was getting involved in candidate choices for the 2015 general election in 41 seats across the country.

In his letter, he said: "I am concerned that this instance is just the tip of the iceberg, as Unite themselves admit they are targeting at least another 40 Labour Party parliamentary selections for similar treatment.

"Senior Labour Party sources have also confessed that the problems go wider than just Falkirk."

The Tory MP cited reports that in Ilford North Unite were offering their members free Labour Party membership in exchange for attending a meeting with general secretary Len McCluskey.

And he quoted allegations from a Labour London activist that the union was "bankrolling" a number of campaigns, including in Lewisham Deptford.

Ed Miliband was elected leader due to union support

Labour leader Ed Miliband is under intense pressure to take radical steps to curb trade union influence over his party.

He is expected to use a high-stakes speech tomorrow to announce reforms to the way the party is organised - including caps on spending in candidate selections and elections to senior party positions.

Mr Miliband, who won the leadership courtesy of union votes, has already scrapped a Blair-era scheme under which unions were able to pay the subs of new members which they recruited to the party.

The Labour leader said at the weekend that he wanted to "mend ... not end" the link with unions to give more influence to individual members.

But he was plunged into an increasingly bitter public war of words with Mr McCluskey, who warned Mr Miliband to "step back from the brink of a ruinous division" and stop "playing into the hands" of the Tories.

The Unite chief said he would not apologise for efforts to "reclaim Labour" from an "out of touch elite" but renewed his insistence that Unite was not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.

Former prime minister Tony Blair, who was involved in a series of clashes with unions during his time as Labour leader, declined to comment on the row on Monday.

"I think he (Mr Miliband) is going to make a speech on this and the last thing he needs is advice from me ... I am sure he will deal with it in the right way," he said.

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman admitted on Sunday that the party was looking at "issues" relating to constituencies other than Falkirk.

But she insisted allegations that individuals were signed up without their knowledge were confined to the Scottish seat.

Ms Harman said reforms such as the spending cap would be "a significant change for the right reasons" by opening the way to less well-off candidates unable to secure union backing.

Other changes reported to be on the table include the use of "open primaries", where all voters in a constituency can choose a general election candidate from a party shortlist, not just Labour members.

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has called on Mr Miliband to drop opposition to more state funding for political parties to prevent unions having too much influence.

And ex-cabinet minister Lord Reid has said the party faces an "ideological battle" against "those who want to take Labour back to the 70s and 80s".

"I am in no doubt that the leader of Unite wants to impose an ideological direction on the Labour Party that would lead us into political oblivion," he said.

A Labour source called the Tories' letter "a silly political stunt".

"We have no evidence of possible criminal behaviour anywhere outside Falkirk. If Bob Neill has, he should produce it. If he has not, he should stop wasting police time," the source said.

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