Dame Margaret Hodge has reported Unite to the police after leaked emails appeared to show union activists and officials discussed plans to remove “right wingers” from West Midlands seats in 2018.
Meanwhile, Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh has called on the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party [PLP] to probe the “incredibly serious” allegations.
In a letter seen by the Standard, Ms McDonagh called for answers as to how “widespread” the activity was and how many MPs were targeted.
She told PLP chairman John Cryer: “We all believe that the need for a Labour government could not be clearer.
“Efforts to covertly deselect Labour MPs, if proven, are a brazen, damaging and inconceivable way to achieve these goals. And they simply cannot be ignored.”
Unite activists apparently said in the 2018 correspondence that they expected to be paid for organising against Labour MPs through solicitors firm Thompsons. MPs claim such an arrangement, if undisclosed, could breach the legal requirement for trade unions to declare their spending on political activities.
However, both Unite and Thompsons insist that no payments were made to people campaigning against MPs including Labour’s former Deputy Leader Tom Watson.
Asked about Dame Margaret’s accusations about potential criminal activity, he replied: “Laughable, risible.
“Margaret Hodge is making a political stunt. She’s obviously doing it because of the fact that there’s, a Unite General Secretary election, she opposes my candidature, she supports someone else in the race and she should be spending her time on her constituents and not engaging in such ridiculous political stunts.”
A Unite spokesman said they were “proud” of their political strategy and that the West Midlands had long been in the grip of an “intransigent right-wing” that acted to undermine the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
They said there was “nothing unlawful or inappropriate” about an activist’s suggested financial relationship with the union. They said the individual was: “Offering to step up activism in the region and asking if he can be remunerated for his time either by Unite or by a third party.” The union said his proposal was never taken up and no payments were made.
Tom Jones, head of public affairs at Thompsons Solicitors said: “We were not aware of, nor involved in, any of the discussions referred to, and have no knowledge or record of any such payments being made via our firm.”
