Senior London Labour figures charged after criminal investigation into alleged vote rigging

Senior London Labour figures have been charged after a criminal investigation into alleged vote rigging.

Joel Bodmer, 40, Shila Bodmer, 41, Gabriel Leroy, 24, and former Croydon councillor Carole Bonner, 69, have been charged with conspiracy and computer misuse in relation to irregularities surrounding the candidate selection process for Croydon East at the 2024 general election .

Mr Bodmer, an organiser with the trade union Unison who was a prospective candidate in the seat, is also charged with perverting the course of justice after allegations phone records were changed.

Labour was forced to suspend the selection process in the south London seat in 2023 following complaints about party members' contact details being altered.

Phone numbers had allegedly been changed and fake email addresses submitted, meaning that some hopeful candidates could not contact Labour members to vote.

This sparked a flurry of allegations that the selection process was rigged in favour of a particular candidate.

The Met Police launched an investigation in March 2024.

A force spokesman told the Standard on Tuesday: "The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against four people after an investigation by the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit into allegations that a Labour Party database was manipulated to increase a candidate’s chances of selection in Croydon.

"The individuals have been charged with conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990:
"Joel Bodmer is also charged with perverting the course of justice."
Natasha Irons eventually won the selection and was elected the Labour MP for Croydon East after Mr Bodmer withdrew from the race.

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

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“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service as it has carried out its investigation.

“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.

“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
All four defendants will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 19 May.

Bodmer, Bodmer and Bonner, all from Croydon, and Leroy, from Southwark, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 19.