Birmingham Labour Party members are calling for a vote on a new council candidate to be re-run amid claims they were prevented from taking part.

Sources allege just 13 out of more than 100 members showed up to the Harborne ward selection meeting on August 3 and picked Sundip Meghani as candidate for the 2018 local election.

Now members, mainly those on the left of the party including supporters of the Jeremy Corbyn inspired Momentum movement, have complained to the national Labour Party and want the selection re-run.

They claim that not only did the selection meeting take place at the height of the summer holiday period, but that they were not notified of the meeting. They also claim that members who were interested in standing for the winnable council seat were not notified.

A disgruntled party member said: “Mr Meghani was selected at a meeting of approximately 13 members, the membership has several hundred. Not all members were notified of this meeting and many were away with it being August. The whole process is flawed.”

Jeremy Corbyn at his packed out pre-election rally in Birmingham

They believe it is a ruling designed to keep the Corbyn supporting elements out of the process.

Asked about his selection Mr Meghani, former Leicester councillor, said: “This is an internal Labour Party matter” and referred the inquiry to the West Midlands regional office.

A spokesman for the regional party said they do not comment on internal matters.

But a source at the regional office said that as far as they were concerned the selection is sound and the complaints may be ‘sour grapes’.

Sundip Meghani selected as Labour candidate

“There are less council seats available from 2018 and so the selections have been very competitive,” the source said.

“It’s really good that so many people want to stand for Labour in Birmingham but some will be inevitably disappointed.”

The row comes as the Birmingham Labour Party is selecting a slate of 101 candidates to fight a 2018 election based on brand new wards following last year’s boundary review . A reduction in the number of councillors also means rhere are less winnable seats and competition for them is fierce.

In some areas three sitting councillors are being reduced to two, prompting a scramble for places.

The chamber at Birmingham Council House.
Battle is on for a place in the Council Chamber

Earlier this summer even Council leader John Clancy struggled to get on a list of approved candidates , being at first rejected because his paperwork was not order.

And a rule banning Birmingham members who joined after July 2015 from voting in selections, designed to stop the newer Corbyn supporters taking part, was over turned by the national party . Now only those who joined since summer 2016 are cut off.

A selection in Weoley Castle, held earlier this month, is also due to be re-run following complaints members were on holiday.