Pending The Outcome

Right next door to Steve Reed, Harrison Galliven writes:

Four Labour activists, including a former Croydon MP hopeful, have appeared in court for the first time over allegations that a party database was manipulated during the selection of a parliamentary candidate.

Joel Bodmer, 40, his wife Shila Bodmer, 41, former Croydon councillor Carole Bonner, 69, and former Southend councillor Gabriel Leroy, 24, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (May 19).

The defendants spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses.

Joel Bodmer, who previously sought selection as Labour's parliamentary candidate for the Croydon East constituency, is charged with perverting the course of justice over the alleged alteration of phone records.

The original selection process for Labour's Croydon East parliamentary candidate was abandoned in November 2023 amid alleged irregularities. It was then re-run four months later, with Joel Bodmer not taking part in the revised process.

Shila Bodmer, Leroy and Bonner are charged with conspiracy to commit offences under the Criminal Law Act and the Computer Misuse Act.

Lead Magistrate Paul Goldspring sent the case to Southwark Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on June 16. All four have been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an investigation.

Joel Bodmer remains employed as a regional organiser for UNISON, although the union has confirmed he is currently on unpaid leave.

Following Joel Bodmer's removal from the selection process, Natasha Irons was chosen as Labour's candidate for Croydon East and went on to win the seat at the 2024 general election. Last month, Ms Irons told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she was relieved the case is being treated "with the seriousness it deserves", while stressing she could not comment on the proceedings.

Speaking after the four were charged last month, Frank Ferguson 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.

"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."