Labour attacked for 'ballot rigging'

Labour was today caught up in a vote-rigging row over claims that it had manipulated ballot forms to pick candidates for Mayor and the European Parliament.

On ballot papers received by thousands of party members in London, the names are not listed in the usual alphabetical order, but appear to have favoured candidates at the top of each list.

Downing Street's favoured mayoral candidate, Tony Banks, comes alphabetically ahead of his rivals, Nicky Gavron and Bob Shannon.

But a Labour spokesman said their positions had been decided by Labour's ruling national executive-rather than being left to chance.

In the list of would-be women Euro-MPs, Stephanie Elsy, a Blairite, appears above Dora Dixon-Fyle even though she would have been below her had the list been alphabetical.

In the male list, Hugh Malyan, another loyalist, is promoted above Joseph Ejiofor and Munir Malik. Mr Malik, who sounded the alarm in a letter to Labour's general secretary David Triesman, said: "Obviously I'm very unhappy about this because it will work against me."

The row carries echoes of the bitter contest between Ken Livingstone and Frank Dobson for the Labour mayoral nomination three years ago. Mr Dobson won despite two-thirds of grassroots members supporting Mr Livingstone, in a race marred by accusations of underhand tactics.