Former Tory children’s minister Tim Loughton MP has been caught trying to sign up as a registered Labour supporter.
With new regulations allowing members of the public to register for £3 until 12 August, Loughton was able to apply via the Labour website.
According to a Guardian article, he did little to disguise his intentions:
In the box at the end of the application it asks: ‘What are your reasons for wanting to become a supporter of the Labour party?’ I put: ‘To vote to Jeremy Corbyn and consign Labour to oblivion for a generation’ and then I got a ‘welcome to the Labour party’ email. I wasn’t exactly hiding my intent.
His application, however, was – unsurprisingly – rejected by an internal vetting system. Responding on Twitter, Labour’s press team thanked Loughton for his donation but explained that, as a Tory, he’s not eligible to vote.
Thanks for your donation to the Labour Party @timloughton. However as a Tory MP you will not get a vote in our leadership election.
— Labour Press Team (@labourpress) August 5, 2015
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The sign-up form asks would-be affiliates to confirm that they support “the aims and values of the Labour party” and are not a member of any groups opposing it.
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