UK Labour referring Falkirk row to police

Labour is to hand over evidence to police about alleged irregularities in the contest to select its election candidate in Falkirk, a senior party source said yesterday.

The selection row has sparked the worst crisis of Ed Miliband’s time as leader, with Labour’s biggest union backer, Unite, accusing the party of “smears” over claims that it sought to swing the contest by cramming the Scottish constituency with members.

Mr Miliband has called on Unite leader Len McCluskey to condemn “malpractice” in Falkirk, insisting he would not allow the party’s name to be “undermined by the behaviour of a few individuals”. But Mr McCluskey has demanded an independent inquiry, saying that he had “no trust” in the party’s handling of the affair.

A Labour source said: “After consulting the party solicitor, we will hand our Falkirk report and other evidence to the police this afternoon.”

Conservatives said it appeared that Mr Miliband was “bounced” into calling the police after discovering that a Tory MP had written to the Chief Constable of Scotland, Sir Stephen House, asking for a probe.

Crawley MP Henry Smith told Sir Stephen that Unite may have committed fraud by making a false instrument, in the form of an application form signing up members to the Labour Party without their knowledge. And he said the separate offence of “uttering” may have been committed by tendering forged documents with an intention to defraud.

A Conservative source pointed out that Mr Miliband made no mention of the police in a round of broadcast interviews shortly before it was announced that evidence would be handed over. (AP)