Rebecca Long-Bailey has sought to draw a line under the row over leadership frontrunner Keir Starmer’s alleged misuse of party data, insisting that it should not detract from the debate about Labour’s future.

Long-Bailey’s team have angrily rejected any suggestion that they were behind the decision by Labour officials to refer Starmer to the information commissioner, which was then leaked to the media.

A spokesperson for the Long-Bailey campaign said: “The investigation into Keir Starmer’s campaign over an alleged data breach should not be allowed to distract from a moment of significant importance in determining the future direction of our party”.

Her communications director, Matt Zarb-Cousin, denied claims that he or Long-Bailey’s campaign chief, Jon Lansman, had leaked the news, tweeting that they were running a “totally clean campaign”.

Labour officials told two members of Starmer’s team last week that the Information Commissioner’s Office had been alerted about claims that staffers had “data-scraped” – effectively hacked – information from the party membership system.

The Starmer campaign team, which has called the claims “utter, utter nonsense”, says the inquiry began only after it alerted Labour to a potential data breach included in an email sent by Long-Bailey’s team to her supporters.

Quick Guide Who do senior Labour figures in 'red wall' seats want as leader? Show • The “red wall” was a huge block of Labour-voting constituencies stretching from north Wales into Merseyside, through Greater Manchester along the Midlands and up to the north-east. The origin of the term is unclear but some believe it was first used in 2019. • Thirty-three Labour leaders spoke to the Guardian and all but three supported Sir Keir Starmer or Lisa Nandy to become the party’s next leader. All of the 33 local authority areas voted for Brexit in 2016. • Of those who would disclose their least favourite candidate, all but two said Rebecca Long-Bailey. The other votes were for Jess Phillips and Emily Thornberry. • Labour leaders in six of the 10 longest-held Labour seats that fell to the Tories said they were backing Starmer or Nandy. They are the Labour leaders in Rotherham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Leigh, Bassetlaw, North East Lincolnshire and Bolsover. The other four leaders had not responded to requests for comment.

Jenny Chapman, the former Darlington MP who chairs the Starmer campaign, said Labour members would have “their heads in their hands” over the row, and called on Jennie Formby, the party general secretary, to formally retract what she said were allegations of criminal acts.

“They need to withdraw the allegation, because it is so serious and it’s affecting those two individuals, who have been named publicly,” Chapman told BBC Two’s Daily Politics.

The row began when Long-Bailey’s campaign sent an email to thousands of supporters that included a link to a database of potential backers who could be contacted.

This link appeared to access the Labour party phone bank of contacts, known as Dialogue, which would contravene leadership rules. Members of Starmer’s team said they alerted the party to what appeared possibly to be an inadvertent data breach, which in turn triggered the investigation into their actions.

It is understood that Labour officials do not believe there is evidence Long-Bailey’s team breached any rules. Her spokesperson appeared to suggest neither campaign was at fault, saying: “As Rebecca’s campaign has said previously, the accessibility of members’ data stemmed from a failure to close Dialogue at the end of the general election campaign.”

Labour MPs in the Starmer camp suspect officials at party HQ loyal to Jeremy Corbyn of being behind the allegations against him, as they try to ensure a leftwing successor to the departing leader. But Labour insists it had no choice but to report the alleged infractions.

A Labour statement said: “The Labour party takes its legal responsibilities for data protection – and the security and integrity of its data and systems – extremely seriously. We have written to all leadership candidates to remind them of their obligations under the law and to seek assurances that membership data will not be misused.”

Long-Bailey has sought to distance herself from some aspects of the way the party has been run under Corbyn, blaming what she called “mismanagement and a bad organisational culture” for Labour’s poor showing in December’s general election.

Later on Monday, MPs said they were frustrated that Formby had not attended a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP), or sent a deputy, to answer questions on the alleged data breach.

They also had questions over the role of Labour’s community organisers and a new rule imposed on MPs limiting them to 50 words in which to explain to local Labour members which leadership candidate they were backing. A source said: “We’ve got these incredibly important issues and we need to hear from Jennie or senior officers of the party.”

Members of Labour’s procedure committee will discuss the alleged misuse of party data and its impact on the leadership election on Wednesday after prime minister’s questions.

Long-Bailey won the backing of the Aslef rail union on Monday, as did her choice of deputy, Angela Rayner – in preference to the more leftwing Richard Burgon.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We believe that Rebecca and Angela have the vision, and the determination, to deliver for all the people of this country, and understand what Labour has to do to win back the hearts, minds, and votes of hardworking people in Britain.”

Quick Guide Labour leadership contenders Show Rebecca Long-Bailey A close ally of the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, the Salford MP and shadow business secretary has been groomed as a potential leftwing contender for the top job. Pitch Promising to champion “progressive patriotism”.

Lisa Nandy The Wigan MP has built a reputation as a campaigner for her constituency and others like it, many of which have fallen to the Tories. A soft-left candidate, she resigned from the shadow cabinet in 2016 over Corbyn’s leadership and handling of the EU referendum. Pitch Wants to “bring Labour home” to voters that have abandoned the party in its traditional strongholds.



Keir Starmer Ambitious former director of public prosecutions has led the charge for remain in the shadow cabinet. He was instrumental in shifting Labour’s position towards backing a second referendum

Pitch Launched his campaign by highlighting how he has stood up for leftwing causes as a campaigning lawyer, and unveiled the slogan “Another Future is Possible”, arguing "Labour can win again if we make the moral case for socialism"





Long-Bailey, Starmer and Lisa Nandy have all received the backing of enough unions and other affiliated organisations to make it on to the final ballot paper – and also the support of enough local constituency labour parties (CLPs).

But the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, having failed to win the support of one of the big five unions, is struggling to meet the threshold of 33 CLPs by the Friday deadline.

The dispute over the campaigns’ data use erupted as Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, took time away from the contest because of a family bereavement. His mother-in-law, who had been critically ill, died on Saturday.