The NEC is said to have made the decision 24-hours before the race officially begins tomorrow to replace leader Jeremy Corbyn as leader. Huff Post UK’s Executive Politics Editor Paul Waugh said on Twitter: “Am hearing NEC has decided registered supporters will have to pay £25 each to vote in Labour leader election and can only sign up in 48-hour window next week. “In other words, same as 2016 leadership election. This confirmed too, source tells me: Leadership ballot will close April 2. Results on April 4th. Election starts tomorrow (Jan 7th).”
Potential voters took to Twitter to vent their anger at the price surge.
One said: “So shut out the working class and make it affordable only to the Islington set.
“The direction of travel for @UKLabour has reached its destination.”
Another, referring to his bank statement, said: “I thought it was £3 a month? It’s been a while since I looked at my bank statement.”
Another added: “Do I hear the sound of goalposts being shifted?”
A fourth added: “The price of Corbynism has gone up eh?”
Another said: “Are Labour that impoverished due to the Corbyn era?”
Another joked: “Still worth it to keep Labour unelectable.”
READ NOW: When will the next Labour leader be known? [NEWS]
They also need the backing of five percent of local parties, or three affiliates – including two trade unions – representing at least five percent of affiliated members.
Margaret Beckett, former foreign secretary who sits on the wider NEC committee, claimed the party should “listen to the electorate” rather than letting “people who ran the election decide”.
So far, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, and backbench MPs Clive Lewis, Jess Phillips, and Lisa Nandy have announced they are running for the top job.
Ms Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, called on the NEC to allow new members to have a say in the contest.
She told The Andrew Marr Show: “At the moment there is a huge amount of buzz around this contest, for lots of different reasons.
“In the public glare lots of people joining the Labour Party, for the NEC to then say we’re not interested in you that would look so incredibly bad for the Labour Party in a time when it needs to stop looking inside itself and look outwards.”
The leadership race will see a new leader set to be elected at the start of April.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Labour Party for a statement.
