We are members of the Labour party who have been suspended or subject to the attentions of Labour’s compliance unit. We are amazed that there has not been an outcry in the media about the tactics and methods that have been employed to debar supporters of Jeremy Corbyn from voting in the leadership election (Corbyn attacks treatment of suspended party members, 29 August).

If it had been the left that had been ringing people up at home to ask them why they have joined the party or had been trawling through people’s social media posts to find “evidence” of abusive behaviour, the air would be heavy with condemnations. It is one thing for someone to be suspended as a result of a genuine complaint of abusive behaviour. It is a different matter for party officials to openly look for a pretext to stop people from voting. If this were a public election, Labour’s officials would be guilty of corrupt electoral practices.

But Michael Foster, despite having described Corbyn and his supporters in an article for the Mail on Sunday as Nazi stormtroopers, has not been denied a vote. Abuse from the right of the Labour party is accepted; a tweet expressing support for the Foo Fighters is deemed a hanging offence. If by some miracle Owen Smith were to win, the victory would be for ever tainted.

Tony Greenstein, Jackie Walker, Nana Asante, Clare Ayton-Edwards, John Dunn, Jason Everson, Peter Gates, Andrew Godsell, Andy Gunton, Annette Harrison, Andrew Hardman, Simon Hinds, Allen Lane, Chris Lent, Philip Lewis Vice-chair, Camden Unison, Adam Soper, David White

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