LABOUR has launched an investigation into alleged ballot box tampering in the selection process for the party’s parliamentary candidate for Erith and Thamesmead.

Whoever wins is set to take over one of London’s safest Parliamentary seats when the sitting MP stands down at the next election.

John Austin, 64, the current Labour MP for the constituency, holds a majority of 11,500 and his successor was due to be chosen by secret ballot yesterday (April 18).

The eight shortlisted women for the seat were due to make a presentation to a general meeting of members before the winner was announced.

But officials found a seal had been broken on one of the boxes containing ballot papers for picking a candidate.

The contest – featuring 22-year-old student Georgia Gould, and daughter of Philip, now Lord Gould, who was one of Mr Blair’s leading political strategists – has been postponed and an inquiry launched by the party's general secretary Ray Collins.

A London Labour spokesman said: "It was discovered that the seal on a ballot box containing previously received ballot papers for the selection of Labour's parliamentary candidate for Erith and Thamesmead was broken.

"In order to maintain the integrity of the process, the hustings meeting has been immediately postponed and a new date will be fixed."

The contest has been controversial since Labour Party chiefs imposed an all-women shortlist requirement on the constituency party, despite local protests.

They also removed John Pegg, a former Bexley councillor who would normally run the search for a new candidate, from his post.

And sitting MP John Austin has lodged a formal complaint with Labour general secretary Ray Collins over alleged rule breaches by campaigners encouraging local members to sign up for postal votes.

  • The full list of candidates hoping to be Labour's candidate for Erith and Thamesmead at the next election is: masters student Georgia Gould, former minister Melanie Johnson, Greenwich councillor Angela Cornforth, Kensington and Chelsea councillor Marianne Alapini, former Bexley councillor Teresa Pearce, Unite union official Rachael Maskell, Greenwich councillor Jagir Sekhon and former Labour candidate for Orpington Emily Bird.