Is Corbyn going to stand as an independent?
The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has today given his strongest indication yet that he intends to stand as a parliamentary candidate for Islington North in the next general election. This follows months of speculation on his political future following the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC) voting to prohibit Corbyn from standing as a candidate for the party.
In a Twitter thread marking the 40th anniversary of him first being elected as MP for Islington North, Corbyn said: “It has been an honour representing the people of Islington North. With your support, that is what I’ll continue to do.”
In March 2023, Labour’s NEC passed a motion which stated that the “Labour Party’s interests, and its political interests at the next general election, are not well served by Mr Corbyn running as a Labour Party candidate”. That motion was passed almost three years after Corbyn had the Labour whip suspended in the aftermath of comments he made about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report on the Labour Party’s handling of antisemitism. Despite the whip having been suspended, Corbyn remains a Labour member.
At the time, Corbyn branded the NEC’s vote “a shameful attack on party democracy, party members and natural justice”. In May, his Constituency Labour Party (CLP) also passed a motion which supported Corbyn, reading: “This CLP would like to thank our sitting MP J. Corbyn for his commitment and service to the people – and want to express that it should be our democratic right to select our MP locally.” The motion passed with 98 per cent support.
Since the NEC decision, rumours have been littered throughout the press that Corbyn could fight Islington North as an independent, as well as that he might instead contest the 2024 London Mayoral election, again as an independent. Despite the speculation, Corbyn has not confirmed his intentions.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
Image credit: Sophie J Brown – Creative Commons
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