Labour kicks out 200 former Green Party candidates who signed up to vote for its new leader

Some Green activists are said to be fond of left-winger Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn is ahead of all of his rivals in the Labour leadership race (Getty) (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Labour party has banned over 200 people who stood as Green Party candidates at the general election from voting for its new leader.

Party officers told Channel 4 News that it has booted out 1,200 people who had signed up as party supporters in order to vote in the general election.

As well as 13 Conservative candidates and 37 candidates for the left-wing Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, 214 Green Party candidates were expelled as supporters.

Labour staff are said to be working overtime to check the eligibility of the thousands of people who have signed up to vote in the election.

For a £3 fee anyone who supports the aims and values of the Labour Party and is not a supporter of an organisation opposed to it can sign up to vote for the next leader.

The left-wing frontrunner in the contest, Jeremy Corbyn, is likely to appeal to supporters of TUSC and the Green Party, who have some similar policies.

Many members of those parties are thought to be former Labour members who defected during the more right-wing New Labour leaders.

“Many Greens are delighted to see Corbyn doing well – because we have some similar values, policies especially opposition to austerity,” @Heather_c_c, a Green Party member, tweeted.

Other people joining the party from outside organisations have joined for more nefarious purposes, however.

Last month the Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph newspaper urged its readers to join the party to swing its leadership in favour of Jeremy Corbyn.

Some Conservatives have said they do not think Mr Corbyn would be a good Labour leader and that he would be easy to defeat at a general election.

A poll last night showed Mr Corbyn winning the leadership by a landslide in the first round of voting. The other candidates in order of ranking were Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, and Liz Kendall.

Voting in the contest commences this weekend after the voter sign-up deadline, with the winner announced at a special party conference in September.