A legal bid to force the British Labour Party to set up constituency associations in Northern Ireland moved a step closer today.
As Labour prepared for its annual conference in Brighton next week, trades unionist Mr Andy McGivern confirmed he had instructed his solicitors to press ahead with legal action against the leadership.
The Belfast-based GMB member said he was regrettably taking the Labour leaders to court after the National Executive failed to consider setting up a branch in the province at its latest meeting on Monday.
Mr McGivern, who overturned a 79-year ban on people in Northern Ireland joining Labour at last year's annual conference, believes their refusal to set up constituency parties amounts to race discrimination.
He explained: "My solicitors recently wrote to Labour requesting the setting up of a constituency party and gave them a deadline of seven days to reply. They responded about 10 days afterwards, saying Labour's NEC would consider it."
"However the proposal was not even raised at the latest NEC meeting on Monday. I therefore have no option but to pursue this through the courts," he said.
Mr McGivern's campaign has been backed by the GMB trade union and a number of Labour MPs including Mr Andrew MacKinlay and Northern Ireland-born Ms Kate Hoey.
Last year the party ended its ban on people in the province becoming members to avoid a race discrimination case brought by Mr McGivern.
Labour has traditionally cited its links to Mr Mark Durkan's Social Democratic and Labour Party as its main reason for not entering the political arena in Northern Ireland.
Mr McGivern became the first person in Northern Ireland to receive a Labour Party card after the membership ban was overturned. It is estimated around 100 people have joined the party in Northern Ireland since the lifting of the membership ban in Bournemouth last year.
The trades unionist vowed today to raise the party's refusal to organise in Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies at next week's annual conference. "It will be difficult to raise the issue on the conference floor but I will try to do so," he confirmed.
Mr McGivern has also requested a meeting with leaders from the Republic's Labour Party who will be visiting the conference including their deputy leader Ms Liz McManus.
PA