BY BEN KERRIGAN
The labour party leadership has extended its deadline for voting to 3pm today, citing problems with its website as the reason for the extension.
This is very concerning because a party that hopes to be taken seriously really should be able to maintain an efficient website at all times. There have been additional complaints that the leadership process is being sabotaged by interested persons outside the party, though specific names have not been released to the media. Over 1,000 applications have been rejected on grounds of being bogus, whilst official figures declare eligibility figures at around 450,000 people- an impressive number for a party that claims to have 282,000 full members.
With a fee of £3, a further 70,000 supporters will be deemed eligible to vote if they declare support for the values of the Labour party. At the moment, it seems left wing candidate, Jeremy Corbyn, is enjoying an overwhelming support from thousands of new members who are putting their full weight behind him. Corbyn’s rivals include Andy Burnham, YYvette Cooper and Liz Kendell. Chukka Umunna was initially among them, but pulled out following media interest into his private life, raising questions as to what exactly he had to hide. Some insiders believe his step down may have had more to do with political pressure or the perception that he would have his work cut out trying to compete against some of the more experienced contenders for the highly sought after post. It should be an interesting result to see who eventually wins the contest.
