ALMOST 2,300 activists have signed a letter to the lawyer leading the inquiry into a leaked Labour Party report, calling for a “full and open” investigation.

The open letter was sent yesterday to Martin Forde QC after the signatures were gathering in a week through social media. Among those who have put their names to the appeal are more than 70 branch chairs and secretaries, 19 Labour councillors and senior academics.

In April, the leaked report exposed bullying and sabotage by Labour headquarters staff during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party.

Yesterday’s letter asks for a full investigation into the truth of all the report’s allegations and the extent of racist, sexist and other discriminatory culture within the party’s workplaces.

It also calls for Mr Forde to probe the relationships and communications between all of the staff members mentioned in the report and all senior members of the party. 

Letter co-author Nick Fitzpatrick warned that members were seeing a loss of trust in Labour within black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, which are “appalled” by the allegations of racism within the party.

He said: “Activists are stunned at how senior party members and officials allegedly subverted the party machine, damaging Labour at a critical time. 

“We need to regain these communities’ trust and heal the wounds in our party.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said that in order for Labour win back trust, party members and the wider public need to have full confidence that the inquiry will “deliver what was promised” by Sir Keir Starmer.

The Labour leader had pledged that there would be a full and open independent inquiry into the whole report and the wider culture and practices that it appears to have revealed.

Mr Fitzpatrick added: “The people who signed this letter in their thousands include deeply committed loyal activists from across the whole country – branch and CLP officials, councillors, senior academics, rank-and-file members. 

“These are the people who make Labour tick,and they are demanding with one voice a rigorous and transparent investigation into these damning allegations and what they mean for the party.”

The letter remains open online for further signatures.