One of Labour’s most senior officials was alerted to a membership drive by a Unite activist in Falkirk ten months ago, raising questions about when the leader’s office became aware that a vote-rigging scandal could be brewing.
Emilie Oldknow, Labour’s executive director of governance and party services, was contacted on January 14 and asked to help sort out difficulties with some of those signed up in the recent recruitment exercise.
Ms Oldknow is married to Jonathan Ashworth, MP for Leicester South, and a key lieutenant of Ed Miliband, and has a role overseeing seat elections.
She worked closely with Labour’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, and Ed Miliband’s political secretary, Anna Yearley. One source said it was “inconceivable” that she did not broach the issue with