AN inquiry has been launched after a Bolton Labour Party branch had a dramatic increase in membership.

Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a letter of congratulations to the Central Ward branch after 47 new members joined in five months. Before, there were just 60 members.

But a Bolton North-east constituency official has now written to the new members inviting them to an interview.

And a spokesman for the North West Regional Labour Party said that the new members will be asked why they have suddenly joined.

"When there was an influx of new members in any ward, we would investigate. It is Labour Party rules.

"It is very informal. We are not saying that we will not be welcoming them into the Labour Party, but we will be asking them why they have joined.

"There has been a dramatic increase in membership and it is commonsense to have a look at it."

Mr Jim Sherrington, secretary of Bolton North-east constiutency who sent the letter said: "We are delighted that so many members have applied to join and as part of that process, we are interviewing all prospective members to indentify the skills that they can use campaigning.

"It is part of the New Labour policy to make people feel welcome." But Mr John Smethurst, chairman of the Central Ward branch said he felt that the letter sent on behalf of the Bolton North-east constituency executive was "outrageous."

He said: "They are joining the Labour Party, not going for a job. It is outrageous that they are being asked to justify themselves.

"I have now had people come to me and say that they don't want to bother now and they are asking for their membership money back.

"The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott last year urged all members to recruit a friend and that is what we have done.

"We received a signed photograph from Tony Blair and a letter thanking us for our efforts."

He said that he had been told that the constituency had received objections from "anonymous" party members about the recruitment process.

It is understood that the allegation was that the new members were being recruited to boost the numbers who could select candidates for local elections.

But Mr Smethurst said: "This insinuation is stupid. They have to be members for 12 months before they can vote, so they would not be eligible for next year's vote anyway."

Ward Cllr Martin McLoughlin added: "We were asked to go out and recruit new members and that is what I have done. I have recruited about a dozen maximum.

Selection

"This is the first time new members have ever been interviewed like this in Bolton."

Cllr McLoughlin has represented Central ward for four years but he lost a selection ballot to be the candidate in May's local elections to Lynda Byrne.

Central is one of the safest Labour wards in Bolton and is a plum seat for any would-be councillors.

Next year, council leader Cllr Bob Howarth will be the candidate who will have to be reselected by the ward before he can stand for election to the council.

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