NEW figures from Labour show that its vetting process has reduced the number of would-be voters in the leadership contest by more than 55,000 in the last two weeks, representing one in 10 participants.

When registration closed two weeks ago, the party said some 610,000 were eligible to vote. However, as the vetting process has proceeded Labour HQ has revealed new statistics:

*total membership 292,973, up from 187,000 before the General Election;

*affiliated membership 148,182 and

*registered supporters, who have paid £3 to take part, 112,799.

This makes a total of 553,594; some 56,000 fewer than the initial 610,000.

The party explained that the fall was largely because of people being found not to be on the electoral register, duplication between affiliate and registered supporters and members being ineligible because they were in arrears.

Some 3100 people considered by party panels were also deemed ineligible because they were found not to share the aims and values of the Labour Party or were members of other parties, including 400 people who were members or supporters of the Conservative Party and 1900 members or supporters of the Green Party.

Harriet Harman, the acting leader, following a meeting with candidates Jeremy Corbyn, Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, defended the process, saying: “I am confident that there won't be questions over the integrity of the result and there aren't any bases for legal challenges.”

She stressed that the right of those who were eligible to vote was being protected.

Ms Harman added: “Those people who don't support the aims and values of the Labour Party are not entitled to vote and we will continue the process of verification, of making sure that those who do not support our aims and values but are trying to vote - trying to cheat their way into the system - that they are identified and their vote is cancelled. That will carry on right up until the last minute."  

The acting leader expressed confidence that none of the candidates were critical of her handling of the contest.

"No, they are not criticising the way I have handled it," she declared. "They are recognising that I am going about it with an absolute due diligence to implement the 2014 constitutional arrangements."

All participants in the contest should have received their ballots by the end of this week. Senior Labour sources said that while vetting would continue, it was not thought those rejected would go much beyond the 56,000 figure.

Earlier at a BBC Radio 5 Live hustings in Stevenage, bookies' favourite Mr Corbyn branded claims the contest was being skewed by infiltrators "nonsense".

"Are there any Tory infiltrators? There has been a lot of nonsense in the papers. 600,000 people have either joined the Labour Party or signed up as supporters; we should be pleased about that," he said.

"There are a few Tory MPs I understand tried to register, got rejected. End of story."

Mr Burnham suggested there was a problem but that he did not think there was “any great big deal”. The Shadow Health Secretary confirmed he would not attempt to challenge the result in court even if he was narrowly defeated.

"I wouldn't want to overstate this whole issue but there is some evidence that Tories are signed up to vote. I was in a meeting in Milton Keynes on Sunday when one stood up in the audience and said he had voted in our contest.

"It is for the party to decide. All we want to ensure is that they have been properly implemented and all the information the Labour Party has about these things has been properly used.”

Asked directly whether he ruled out a legal challenge, the MP for Leigh near Manchester said: "Under all circumstances absolutely. After this the Labour has had a vibrant debate, a good debate. But by God, let's move forward and attack the real enemy, the Conservative Party."

Ms Cooper said: "We shouldn't be drawing up the rules for this election. That should be a matter for the Labour Party, they have got to make sure that proper robust checks are in place.”

The Shadow Home Secretary added: “We must not get distracted into just talking about process when there are so many big ideas, so many people still left to vote."

Ms Kendall, the Shadow Health Minister, who admitted she was "quite a long way behind" in the race, said the numbers of infiltrators, who would be voting, was a "tiny minority".