UK Court Rules in Labour Party’s Favor Barring New Members From Internal Vote

The UK Court of Appeal ruled on Friday in favor of the Labour Party, allowing it to ban members who have been a part of the fraction for less than six months from taking part in an internal leadership vote between current leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Owen Smith, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Labour National Executive Committee decided that members who joined the party after January 12, 2016 could not vote in the contest which is due to end on September 24. However, on Monday, High Court of England and Wales ruled in favor of five new members of the Labour Party allowing them to take part in the vote and setting a precedent.

"On the correct interpretation of the party rules, the National Executive Committee has the power to set the criteria for members to be eligible to vote in the leadership election in the way that it did," Lord Justice Beatson said, as quoted by the BBC broadcaster.

The ruling hence made possible the prohibition of nearly 130,000 new members from the party leadership election vote, overturning the previous decision by the High Court.