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London Labour activists charged amid alleged vote rigging claims

Joe PikePolitics investigations correspondent
PA Media A man with a red tie wearing a red rosette reading 'Vote Labour'PA Media

Four Labour activists have been charged by police after an investigation into claims that a party database was manipulated to help fix a candidate selection.

Joel Bodmer, 40, who stood for selection as Labour's candidate for the Croydon East constituency, has been charged with perverting the court of justice in relation to allegedly altering phone records.

The process to select Labour's candidate for the parliamentary seat was abandoned in November 2023 amid alleged irregularities, and re-run four months later without Bodmer taking part.

Bodmer and three others - Shila Bodmer, 41, former Southend councillor Gabriel Leroy, 24, and former Croydon councillor Carole Bonner, 69 - have been charged with conspiracy to commit an offence under the Criminal Law Act and the Computer Misuse Act.

Joel Bodmer Campaign image for Joel Bodmer, who was standing as a councillor in Croydon East. The image shows a head and shoulders shot of Mr Bodmer, alongside the slogan saying "Croydon East. Joel Bodmer for Croydon East" followed by "Living in Croydon, Campaigning for Croydon's future".Joel Bodmer

All four have been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an investigation.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "These are incredibly serious charges. When complaints were first raised with the Labour Party we conducted a thorough internal investigation and we referred the matter to the police as soon as potential criminal wrongdoing was identified. We cannot comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing."

Bodmer is a regional organiser for the trade union Unison.

A spokesperson for Unison said: "Joel Bodmer is an employee of the union and is currently on unpaid leave."

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

"We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service as it has carried out its investigation.

"We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.

"It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

All four defendants will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 May.

Get in touch – politicsinvestigations@bbc.co.uk