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Members of Labour’s new left wing faction Momentum ousted a campaign co-ordinator after turning up at a constituency meeting en masse and allegedly claiming they had “a mandate to assume control.”

Long-standing members of the North West Durham Constituency Labour Party (CLP) were said to be surprised by the huge turnout at the annual general meeting (AGM) at St Catherine’s Hall in Crook last month.

The Labour Party denies any move is afoot to deselect Pat Glass, the constituency’s MP who has been promoted to education minister, but acknowledges it was a “very lively” meeting.

Bob Glass, husband to the MP, was expected to be voted in again as campaign co-ordinator after being in post during a period when the MP’s majority had been increased by 2,444 votes and in which there were notable victories in local elections in the area.

It has emerged that the meeting was packed with new members who identified with Jeremy Corbyn’s Momentum - a grassroots movement associated with the left of the party.

Some members claim the rush of new recruits is attempting to “silence and intimidate” members.

Paul Simpson, a man who actively campaigned for the new leader and is contributor to the strongly pro-socialist Red Labour blog The World Turned Upside Down, was voted in as Mr Glass’ replacement.

The news has ruffled the feathers of some of the old guard, who accuse new members of forcing the candidate on them.

We attempted to contact Mr Simpson but were not able to get in touch with him.

The MP said there was “healthy competition” for posts within the CLP.

She said: “We’re a democratic party and it is entirely up to members of North West Durham CLP who they elect as their officers. We had an excellent well-attended AGM and healthy competition for CLP officer positions. I am already working with all the new officers as we campaign against the Tories’ tax credit cuts.”

(Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

But one North West CLP member, who did not want to be named, told a different story of proceedings.

They said: “We turned up at the AGM and a large group of the Momentum lot were there.

“They said they had a mandate to assume control of the branch. They were very organised.

“Pat is a good MP and we are worried they will try to deselect her.”

The CLP chairman narrowly survived, it is said, and it comes amid a week of open warfare between the right and the left of the party.

The member added: “We are now a party of two halves, and both sides are suicidal. One side feels like it is all hopeless and the other just wants to hasten the end of the world.”

A Labour source said the membership in North West Durham had increased by about 300 since the General Election and around 70 people were in attendance at the meeting.

They added: “Momentum is a party within a party.

“Most people are prepared to give Jeremy some time to see how it goes, but clearly the other side - Momentum - are trying to push them out of the door or silence them by any means.

“My feeling at this stage is that they are trying to silence and intimidate members who do not agree with them.”