Police are investigating claims Labour tried to bribe voters with food in an upcoming Westminster by-election.
The probe comes after a video emerged of an event where attendees were told to hold up posters “if you want to get fed”.
The dinner is thought to have been organised as part of Labour’s campaign to win next week’s Gorton and Denton by-election.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police told The Independent: “We are aware and investigations are ongoing.”
The dinner, in Manchester, is reported to have been attended by around 600 people, including Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell.
Labour sources claimed the event was not in breach of electoral law, because the rules against so-called ‘treating’ still allow for what is known as “ordinary hospitality”.
An offence is deemed ‘treating’ if parties provide food, drink or entertainment “to corruptly influence any voter”.
A video released online on Monday appeared to show attendees being asked to support the Labour candidate if they wanted to be given food.
A man could be heard telling all those in the room: “There needs to be a sea of red Angeliki posters in this hall…. If you want to get fed, I’ve been told you have to hold one of these up.”
Angeliki Stogia is the Labour candidate in the by-election, called after Labour MP Andrew Gwynne stood down last month.
Labour is battling to hold on to the Gorton and Denton seat it won with more than 50 per cent of the vote in 2024. The by-election is seen as a three-way race between Labour, the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which is standing former academic Matt Goodwin.
It is widely seen as a looming crisis for Sir Keir Starmer who risks being ousted by his own MPs if his party loses badly.
A Green Party spokesman said: “Labour know they have blown this by-election and are desperately trying to save face by buying votes. It won’t work. The people of Gorton and Denton, including the Muslim communities invited to this event, don’t have a short-term memory over issues like Gaza and Labour’s long-held belief of taking voters for granted.”
A Reform spokesman said: “In a race to the bottom with the Greens, it now appears Labour have risked breaking the law.”
A Labour spokesman said: “This is a desperate, politically motivated move. The momentum on the doorstep is with Labour and it will further highlight to residents in Manchester just what is at stake.”
Earlier this month a letter from “a local pensioner” distributed for Reform UK in the by-election, and appearing to break election law, was referred to the Electoral Commission and police.
In the letter a “concerned neighbour” Patricia Clegg explained why she is no longer voting for Labour and has switched her vote to Mr Farage’s party.
But opponents said the leaflet potentially breaks electoral law because it does not have an imprint of the party to show they are distributing it.
