Bridget Phillipson set to become one of Britain's youngest MPs

Apr 20 2009 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

Contest called off

THE Labour Party called off a candidate selection hustings planned for the weekend after discovering a ballot box had been tampered with.

The process for choosing a prospective parliamentary candidate for Erith and Thamesmead is expected to run for weeks longer as postal ballot papers will need to be reissued.

An investigation has also been launched by Labour’s general secretary, Ray Collins, after it emerged a ballot box seal had been broken.

The selection process has been mired in controversy since it was taken over by the central party machine, sparking complaints of interference in favour of non "local" candidates such as Georgia Gould, the 22-year-old daughter of New Labour polling guru Lord Gould.

Whoever wins will inherit a Labour majority in the seat of more than 10,000, even allowing for boundary changes.