Labour has been rebuked by the equalities commission again after banning heterosexual white men from a conference.
An advert for the Young Labour event said a person had to be under 27, and ‘self identify’ as from an ethnic minority background, be LGBT or a woman to go.
It sparked a storm of controversy and critics pointed out that under the rigid rules Jeremy Corbyn would not be allowed to go to the conference.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR) has warned the restrictions would flout the law unless there is a good reason for it.
And they have written to party bosses demanding an explanation for the ban on straight, white men attending.
Labour has been rebuked by the equalities commission again after banning heterosexual white men from a conference. Critics pointed out that under the rigid rules Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in Scotland on Monday) would not be allowed to go to the conference.
It is the second race row to hit Labour in a matter of weeks after the party was exposed for proposing to charge white people more than ethnic minorities to hear Jeremy Corbyn deliver a speech.
The party U-turned on it after they were accused of racism.
responding to the latest row, the ECHR said: ‘Barring members from participating in events of internal committee elections based on their self-defined race, sexuality, gender or disability, is unlawful unless t can be shown to be a proportionate way of addressing disadvantage or low levels or participation within party structures.
‘We have written to Young Labour to ask them for their justification for these member restrictions.’
Their intervention comes after Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ask them to investigate whether the entry rules added up to ‘discrimination’.
An advert for the Young Labour event said a person had to be under 27, and ‘self identify’ as from an ethnic minority background, be LGBT or a woman to go
He said: ‘The Labour Party are no longer about equality or fighting against discrimination, they have been entirely taken over by identity politics and specific groups of activists.
‘They are a divisive party who want to put people into victim groups. They seem to believe that white, male heterosexuals have nothing to contribute to the subject of equalities.
‘It seems that in La La Labour land everyone is equal but some are more equal than others.’
A Labour spokeswoman said: ‘There is nothing new about spaces for people with protected characteristics meeting to discuss the inequalities and obstacles they face.’
‘The purpose of this conference is to ensure that members from disadvantaged groups are able to elect representatives to Young Labour’s National Committee. All other positions on the Committee are elected online, via a ‘one member one vote’ system.’