Four charged with computer misuse in Labour candidate selection scandal

PoliticsTechnology
21 Apr 2026 • 11:02 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Four charged with computer misuse in Labour candidate selection scandal

  • Four individuals have been charged in connection with allegations of manipulating a Labour Party database to influence a candidate's selection.
  • Joel Bodmer, Shila Bodmer, Carole Bonner, and Gabriel Leroy face charges under the Criminal Law Act 1977 and the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
  • Joel Bodmer is also accused of perverting the course of justice for allegedly altering phone records.
  • The charges relate to the selection process for a candidate in Croydon East for the 2024 general election, where phone numbers and email addresses were reportedly changed to hinder other candidates.
  • All four accused have been suspended by the Labour Party, which referred the matter to the police following an internal investigation, and are due to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 19 May.