Mansfield Labour hopeful Prescott cleared of '˜breaching selection rules'

Labour bosses have rejected complaints made by Mansfield party members over claims a parliamentary hopeful was breaching selection rules, it is understood.

An authenticated Labour Party source who declined to be named, told your Chad that complaints made against David Prescott - alleging that he was cold-calling Mansfield constituency members outside of specified timescales - had been overturned.

The party has declined to formally comment on the process, but the source said: “The Labour Party is satisfied that there is no wrongdoing in this case.”

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Mansfield party members contacted the Chad earlier this week, claiming that Mr Prescott, son of former Deputy Prime minister John Prescott, had been cold-calling members of the local constituency party asking for their votes.

It is understood that complaints have been made to the local constituency party as well as to Labour HQ in London.

According to documents seen by the Chad, some party members are now calling for the process to be halted in order to make the contest fair.

Under the party’s electoral rules, candidates are only allowed access to contact information for members two weeks before the vote.

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Mr Prescott (pictured) is being accused of accessing party information and calling members outside this timescale, potentially giving himself an unfair advantage.

He has the backing of the Co-operative Party and the Unite Union, has been nominated as the Parliamentary candidate by both Warsop and Mansfield West Labour branches, along with Mansfield District Councillor Sonya Ward.

Coun Ward, who is the Mansfield Labour Group leader, has also been nominated by the other three Mansfield branches – North, East and South – along with solicitor Neil Clayton.

Also in the running are Melanie Darrington, aide to Ashfield MP Gloria de Piero, and businessman Mike Matthews.

Mr Prescott was offered the opportunity to give a full statement but replied that he “declined to comment”.