Woman blocked from joining Labour on basis she tweeted support for Greens
'I'm dismayed that my opinion is being so easily discarded just because I share points of view with other parties on the left,' says Corbyn-supporting Welsh poet Sophie McKeand
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Your support makes all the difference.A woman has been been banned from voting in the Labour leadership election on the grounds that she "tweeted in support of the Green Party" over a year ago.
Sophie McKeand, a Jeremy Corbyn supporter from Wales, received a letter stating that the panel of the National Executive Committee (NEC) had decided to reject her membership application because of a tweet she posted on 8 May 2015.
The letter, signed by General Secretary of the party Iain McNicol, stated: "As part of the process to sign up as a registered supporter all applicants are asked to confirm the following statement: I support the aims and values of the Labour Party, and I am not a supporter of any organisation opposed to it.
"A panel of the NEC has considered your application, and has decided to reject it on the grounds that you tweeted in support of the Green party on 8 May 2015."
When approached for comment, a Labour Party spokesperson told The Independent: "We cannot comment on individual applications, but can confirm that if someone shows support for another party they are not eligible to become a member."
Ms McKeand, who is a socialist poet, said she was "surprised" and "dismayed" on receiving the letter.
She told The Independent: "I was surprised because I was allowed to vote in the £3 election that also came after the 'offending tweet'. I haven't looked to see what I tweeted on that day because I'm far too busy working and I would hope the Labour Party were also too busy campaigning against the Tories to bother with my social media output.
"I'm dismayed that my opinion is being so easily discarded just because I share points of view with other parties on the left. I don't see votes for The Left as mutually exclusive. We have much more in common than we have points of contention and this is what we need to focus on.
"Gone are the days of expecting the electorate to blindly follow a party - look what that did with Blair and the Iraq war."
The letter, which the Welsh poet posted on Twitter branding it a "total farce", has been met with anger and surprise on social media.
Twitter user Tom Stewart wrote: "That's dreadful. The Labour Party should be ashamed of this." Another commenter said he was "gobsmacked", asking: "How can this happen because of a tweet?"
It comes days after Jeremy Corbyn expressed concern that some of his supporters have been "unfairly" barred from voting after four people with a combined Labour Party membership of 163 years said they had received similar rejection.
Mr Corbyn has encouraged supporters who have been denied a vote to challenge it and advised on how best to do so, tweeting: "Have you been denied a vote? Make sure you challenge. Share details with Liz Davies, former Labour NEC & barrister."
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who is chairing Mr Corbyn's bid to be re-elected as Labour leader, has warned party officials against “what appears to be a rigged purge of Jeremy Corbyn supporters”.
The Labour leadership ballot, which pits Jeremy Corbyn against former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Owen Smith, closes on 21 September and the results will be announced three days later at a Labour Party Conference.
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