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WHAT is behind the rumour that the St Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) bought up Labour registered supporters’ memberships using fake emails and addresses borrowed from the electoral roll?

The allegation, which we are told is being looked at by government agencies, follows reports that 6,500 Russian bots generated by the IRA tried to swing the election in favour of Jeremy Corbyn. Buying a £3 supporters’ membership allows you to vote in a Labour leadership election. An increase in subscription happened post-Ukraine, post-Crimea and fits a pattern of Russia’s attempts to disrupt elections by backing parties that are either pro-Kremlin or most disruptive to liberal democracy.

The £3 membership was introduced under Ed Miliband in 2014. There was a huge uptake by Jeremy Corbyn supporters and, according to LabourList, 84 per cent of the £3 voters backed Corbyn. “Names and addresses are thought to have been taken from the electoral roll,” says a source. “There will be people who were surprised to have received a load of Labour bumpf through the post.”

Another cyber expert said: “I heard from one Labour Party activist that at around the time of the Corbyn’s re- election as leader they found all these weird Twitter accounts with bizarre Trumpist views — these aren’t Labour guys, are they?

“We haven’t been able to establish if the IRA takes Britain seriously. They had a whole floor dedicated to the US elections. If they are now going beyond just reusing US sock puppets that’s quite a big deal.”

The MoD referred us to the Home Office who directed us to National Cyber Security Centre.

The DCMS told us it was an issue for the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office said it was an issue for DCMS. We tried the Foreign Office for good measure, who are looking into it.

We spoke to the Labour Party this morning to see if they would like to comment. They said they had not found evidence of any tampering,

City Hall crowd misses the joke

Boris Johnson hosted a knees-up for his old mayoral team last week at his flat in Carlton Gardens. Australian election strategist Lynton Crosby, his great friend, drank with Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey and former City Hall comms director Guto Harri. Absent from the 50-plus City Hall guests was Sadiq Khan, the current Mayor, about whom Boris was “very rude”. He referred to his successor as “Sadiq Khant”. He is “fully aware” of the homophone, says a source. Someone should warn Johnson that this is a favoured insult of the alt-Right.

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IS PRINCE Harry trading country pursuits for things more LA? I hear that since Ms Markle came along his new interests have made him late for more traditional ones. He recently infuriated the Duke of Rutland when he arrived “mid-way through” a shoot at Belvoir Castle. His reason? He was doing yoga with Meghan.

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WILL Condé Nast ever let go of their disgraced photographers? A striking image of model Edie Campbell is on the cover of new book Vogue Essentials: Handbags. It was taken by Patrick Demarchelier, the photographer accused of sexual harrasment earlier this year, claims which he calls ridiculous.

Rocky patch ... where has The Ivy Chelsea’s Ed Stone been moved to?

HAS anyone seen the Ed Stone? The giant slab of limestone was unveiled in a car park by Ed Miliband in the run-up to the 2015 election. It was billed as proof of the party’s commitment to campaign promises, but ended as a millstone around the Labour leader’s neck.

Following Labour’s defeat, the stone disappeared but then re-emerged in a curious location: the outdoor terrace at The Ivy Chelsea Garden.

But where is it now?

The Londoner was at the restaurant last night for a party celebrating its collaboration with the fashion designer Jenny Packham. Model Lili Sumner and the British Fashion Council’s Caroline Rush were among guests. Instead of the Ed Stone was an enormous display of white and yellow flowers. It’s not clear if the stone has just been moved for the party season, or whether Ed has asked for it to be returned ahead of a comeback.

SW1A

MPs are being told to watch out for baby peregrine falcons. At least one pair has been nesting in the Houses of Parliament and the little ones have a habit of getting lost: “Under no circumstances try and pick it up,” staff are being warned. “Juveniles can, and will inflict painful injuries.”

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THE controversial use of the term “gammon” to describe angry, middle-aged white men has come to the fore this week. The Commons seems pro-gammon: yesterday the parliamentary canteen had a gammon and pineapple bap taking pride of place on the menu.

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SPEAKING of pineapples and gammon, Boris Johnson marked the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands being granted a coat of arms: a turtle with a pineapple on top, and a British lion. “There is the key message that the Cayman Islands is and will be part of the United Kingdom.”

Quote of the day

‘It’s a doomy ballad about drugs and Chelsea.' Mick Jagger is baffled by Donald Trump’s use of You Can’t Always Get What You Want as his campaign victory song

Charles’s support

GOOD to see Sophie Winkleman out and about. The actress and wife of Lord Frederick Windsor has returned to the London scene after breaking her back in a car accident, and we saw her last night at the Saatchi Gallery, for French-Iranian artist Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar's new exhibition Oneness Wholeness

“I don’t recommend breaking a back,” she laughed. “It’s not a sensible thing to do. Take it off your to-do list.”

She says, however, that she found help in an unlikely source: “Prince Charles was magnificent. He was so amazing. He was wonderful. A real darling.”