Police inquiry looms as Falkirk selection controversy deepens

The party leadership’s hopes that the resignation of election campaign co-ordinator Tom Watson on Thursday would draw a line under the controversy were swiftly extinguished yesterday amid a fresh round of acrimonious exchanges with the Unite trade union and its general secretary, Len McCluskey.

Unite has denied allegations it was behind dozens of new members joining the Falkirk party to bolster support for its favoured candidate Karie Murphy, who works for Mr Watson.

Ms Murphy and Labour’s constituency chairman in Falkirk, Stephen Dean, have both been suspended and yesterday the party called in the police.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “I’m determined to uphold the integrity of the Labour Party, decent Labour Party members, decent trade union members, and there is no place in this party for any malpractice, bad practice or even corrupt practice.

“That’s why we have taken this matter so seriously, and now the matter has been referred to the police.

“Instead of defending what happened in Falkirk, Len McCluskey should be facing up to his responsibilities. He should not be defending the machine politics involving bad practice and malpractice that went on there, he should be facing up to it.

“We had members being signed up without their knowledge, bad practice, malpractice and, frankly, instead of defending that kind of thing, Len McCluskey should be condemning it.”

But Mr McCluskey continued to deny any wrongdoing on the part of Unite and described the party’s handling of the affair as a “disgrace”.

“As far as Unite are concerned, we have done nothing wrong. We are being attacked mercilessly by the media,” he said.

“We’ve had shadow cabinet members saying that Unite have ‘overstepped the mark’. What does that mean? We asked too many of our members to join the Labour Party. We should have told them that the Labour Party was full up perhaps? It is a nonsense.”

The decision to refer the matter to the police was said to have been taken after consulting the party’s solicitor following the conclusion yesterday of a review of its membership procedures by general secretary Iain MacNicol.

Labour sources said the review had unearthed further evidence in addition to the material which had been gathered during an internal inquiry which led to the Falkirk constituency party being placed in “special measures” on June 25.

All the evidence collected will now be passed to the police.

The fierce exchanges yesterday suggest the move is unlikely to end the bitter internal feuding within the Labour ranks which has threatened to reopen the bitter divisions of the Blair-Brown years.

Asked if Mr McCluskey should consider his position if the allegations against his union were proved, a Labour source said: “Let’s see where the police inquiries take us.”

Speaking about his resignation, Mr Watson complained he had been the victim of anonymous briefings by shadow cabinet colleagues.

He suggested they remained resentful of his role in the so-called “curry house plot” of 2006 which led to then Prime Minister Tony Blair announcing his intention to stand down the following year.

“There was clearly a problem with some of my colleagues around the shadow cabinet table and obviously I do accept that. It was a big thing I did in 2006,” he said.

“But what I don’t want to do is make that a problem. I think I can do things from the backbenches that are as effective and serve my constituency just as well, maybe better. So, no hard feelings, I’m off.”

Conservatives could barely disguise their glee at seeing Labour engaged in open warfare with one of its most important financial backers.

Party sources also claimed Labour had only involved the police when it learned that Conservative MP Henry Smith had written to the Chief Constable of Scotland, Sir Stephen House, asking for an investigation.

The Conservatives said they would be handing over to police a Unite document which they have obtained, listing 41 constituencies in which the union has supported candidates for selection.

The report, presented in June by the union’s political director Steve Hart, said that Unite’s political department was “working extremely hard on assisting in a large and growing number of selections”.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “It’s quite clear the trade unions have far too much control over Labour.

“This has happened on Ed Miliband’s watch. It is something of a scandal that is unfolding and he badly needs to grip it.”

Police Scotland confirmed it had received the letter from Mr Smith. A spokeswoman said it was “currently being considered”.