Jeremy Corbyn pictured in February 2024 (Alamy)
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Former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he will stand as an independent candidate in the Islington North general election.
Corbyn has been an independent MP in the London constituency since suspending the Labor whip in 2020.
He has now said he will be on the ballot on the Fourth of July.
Writing for his local newspaper The Islington Standhe stated: “The problems facing people in Islington North – child poverty, skyrocketing rents, crumbling schools, pollution and an NHS under attack – are part of a much wider, national set of crises.”
On Friday afternoon, Labor confirmed they have selected councilor Praful Nargund to contest the seat.
In a statement following his selection, Nargund said that “it is an honor to have been chosen as the Labor candidate for Islington North and I look forward to the campaign ahead. I pledge to be a truly local Member of Parliament, representing all the families and businesses who call this special place home.
“Only Labor can change the country and fix 14 years of Tory failure,” he added.
I am standing as an independent candidate for the people of Islington North.
As your Member of Parliament, I will continue to be an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace.
Join our campaign at https://t.co/dRySocs48C. Let’s prove that when we come together, we can win. pic.twitter.com/rkyf5yakod
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 24, 2024
Corbyn was suspended over comments he made following the equality watchdog’s report into anti-Semitism in the party, and is banned from standing for Labor again.
The Labor Party has already written to Corbyn confirming that he has now been expelled from the party. PoliticsHome understands.
He has been MP for the north London seat for 40 years and his decision to stand for re-election sets up an intriguing battle with whoever is chosen as Labor’s candidate.
Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labor Movement (JLM), has said that the party “became an unsafe space for Jews under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.”
“He refused to acknowledge the extent of anti-Semitism within Labour, even when the Equality & Human Rights Commission found the party guilty of breaking the law.”
Katz said Labor has now become “unrecognizable from what it had become under Corbyn, thanks to the leadership of Keir Starmer” and that they will campaign to “ensure” voters in Islington North get a Labor MP.
Kate Dove, chair of Momentum Kate Dove, described the situation as an “almighty mess for Labour” and accused party leader Keir Starmer of treating “the people of Islington with contempt”.
She added: “We urge the Labor leadership not to repeat this damaging debacle in Hackney with Diane Abbott. Britain’s first black female MP, who Keir Starmer rightly called a “pioneer”, deserves to stand as a Labor candidate, as local members voted. ”
Additional reporting by Sienna Rodgers
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