The was one little gem from the minutes of Labour’s incredibly dull, but hilariously messy NEC meeting on Tuesday to try sort out their candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets. Previous Labour runner Lutfur Rahman was removed after an investigation was launched into him breaking the Representation of the Peoples Act. Andrew Gilligan has been stirring the pot and Keith Vaz regaled an old tale about slandered him to the assembled grandees:

“I gave Andrew Gilligan a job as an intern 20 years ago. He was dismissed because he had forged references for his CV.”

Guido hadn’t heard that one before and was very surprised it didn’t appear during Gilligan’s slightly more high-profile battle with Labour. Given this claim is made by Vaz, Guido has emailed the seeker of truth that is Andrew Gilligan, but he hasn’t so far had a reply…

UPDATE : Andrew Gilligan emails back (within 45 minutes) : “It’s completely untrue and actionable. I was never employed by Vaz – I did a few weeks’ work experience with him in 1987 – and I never submitted either a CV or references, forged or otherwise. Running it would be outrageous. Nor are these NEC minutes. They are an account of the meeting written by one member of the NEC from her own far-left perspective.” Looks like Gilligan should sue Vaz for slander…