Britain's crisis-hit main opposition Labour Party vowed to appeal against a High Court decision today that would allow 125,000 newly-signed up members to vote in its leadership contest.
The party's National Executive Committee had decided people who had been members for less than six months up to July 12 could not vote in the contest between embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn and relatively unknown challenger Owen Smith.
The High Court said the NEC's decision amounted to a breach of contract, in a ruling that would increase the voter base by around a quarter.
But Labour said it would take the decision to the Court of Appeal -- to the fury of socialist stalwart Corbyn's campaign, for whom the High Court verdict was seen as a huge boost.
"The Labour Party will appeal this ruling in order to defend the NEC's right, as Labour's governing body, to uphold the rule book," a spokesman said.
Corbyn's campaign manager John McDonnell, Labour's finance spokesman, said the "deeply disappointing" decision to appeal taken by a "small clique" opposed to the leftist protest politics veteran.
"What they think is a further attack on Jeremy... Is just an attack on the basic democratic rights of members in our party," McDonnell said.
"We are now in the absurd position that Labour HQ is wasting members' money to prevent members having a democratic vote on the leader."
The hearing is expected to take place on Thursday.
Corbyn is the runaway favourite to win the contest.
Bookmakers William Hill immediately slashed their odds on Corbyn winning from 1/10 to 1/20 on the High Court verdict.
Labour is in deep crisis with Corbyn popular among the party's grassroots, but sharply at odds with an overwhelming majority of Labour MPs.
They believe he is an incapable leader driving them towards a third straight general election defeat.
A YouGov poll of 1,772 adults conducted between August 1 and 2 put Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives on 42 percent support, Labour on 28 percent and UKIP on 12 percent.
Ballot papers in the leadership contest are due to be posted to members, trade unionists and registered supporters on August 22 and the winner announced on September 24.
Smith, little known even in parliament until he announced his candidacy, called for an extension of the timetable in the leadership contest following today's events.
