A second ALP branch in Belinda Neal’s electorate of Robertson has rebelled against her candidacy for federal preselection, adding to a groundswell of grassroots support for alternative candidate Deb O’Neill.

In an email sent last night to around 70 local ALP members, and obtained by Crikey, key Wamberal-Terrigal branch member Darryl Bowling, a longtime Neal loyalist, says he can no longer abide by the local member, whose profile suffered at the hands of 2008’s Iguanagate scandal.

“Rightly or wrongly, I have concluded that it is impossible for you to again win the seat, and consequently in the best interests of Labor you should resign and good sense and logic would be to persuade your various supporters to redirect their efforts to assist in the election of Deborah O’Neill in your stead,” Bowling wrote.

“Reluctantly, you must agree that Deb has all the antecedents of a prime candidate for Robertson, and it would be a great boost for Labor if you could be gracious and positively pass the baton.  For Deb to win will not be a walk in the park, but at least there would be hope for Labor.

“I am sorry to have to write to you on this subject and I wish no personal animosity.”

In the email, Bowling reveals Neal contacted him to shore up his support just hours after Crikey revealed O’Neill’s looming challenge last Thursday. Bowling says Neal told him that Iguanagate, which led to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ordering the federal member into anger management classes, was a “beat-up” concocted by News Limited tabloid the Daily Telegraph.

The latest uprising will increase pressure on Neal after members of the Ourimbah Narara Valley branch passed a motion last week calling on her to resign for “the good of the nation”. The branch then faced a ‘rescission motion’ from Neal designed to overturn the vote.

Crikey understands that the Wamberal-Terrigal branch has around 25 voting members with the eventual candidate selected via simple majority of around 150 members scattered among it and the nine other branches in the electorate. Nominations formally opened this morning and will run for nine days with the vote set to take place on March 6.

Robertson is the most marginal seat in the country, with Neal clinging to a 0.1% buffer.

Grassroots backing for Neal has always been tenuous. Contrary to claims in today’s Australian that she had “never faced” a ballot of members, in late 2000 Neal was defeated by Trish Moran by two votes — 87 to 85, a decision that was ratified by the ALP National Executive after Neal challenged it. The about-face at Wamberal-Terrigal will add to fears in the Neal camp that a local poll could draw widespread support for O’Neill, who ran for the state seat of Gosford in 2003.

And there remains concerns over the legitimacy of some pro-Neal branches. Woy-Woy, of which Neal is a member, Kariong and Mangrove Mountain have been dubbed ‘ghost branches’ and their bona fides and meeting records have been questioned.

While Neal’s hopes at Gosford will be assisted by the presence of staffers Paul Sullivan and Dez Karlsson, who will vote for their jobs, at Mooney Mooney she will face opposition from members who have declined requests from Neal to attend meetings. Hardy’s Bay, Umina and Kincumber are also believed to be teetering.

Yesterday ABC1’s Insiders program reported Neal’s husband John Della Bosca had been hitting the phones alongside Neal in an attempt to derail the grassroots vote, a claim he angrily denied.