Politics
Keir Starmer set to formally block Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate
The party's ruling body will vote tomorrow on barring the Islington North MP
March 27, 2023 16:12
The party's ruling body will vote tomorrow on barring the Islington North MP
March 27, 2023 16:12Labour is set to formally ban Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a candidate for the party at the next general election.
The party’s ruling body will vote tomorrow on a motion proposed by Keir Starmer that claims Labour’s interests are “not well served” by Corbyn's candidacy.
It goes on to claim: “The Labour Party’s standing with the electorate in the country, and its electoral prospects in seats it is required to win in order to secure a Parliamentary majority and/or win the next general election, are both significantly diminished should Mr Corbyn be endorsed by the Labour Party as one of its candidates for the next general election.”
The powerful National Executive Committee is expected to pass the motion, officially confirming Corbyn’s exile from the party he once led.
The Islington North MP has sat as an independent since he lost the whip in October 2020 after he largely rejected the findings of an Equality and Human Rights Commission report that found Labour responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination under his watch.
Responding to the finding, Corbyn claimed antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”
Writing on Twitter today, the Jewish Labour Movement said they hoped the NEM motion would pass.
“Jeremy Corbyn has shown no contrition or responsibility for the antisemitism which was rampant on his watch, which led to @EHRC finding Labour broke equalities law,” they added.
“Keir Starmer's firm leadership on this will only win votes for Labour.”
NEC member Luke Akehurst told The Sun: "I intend to vote for the motion at the NEC meeting and I expect it to pass.
"Unfortunately Jeremy Corbyn did immense damage to Labour during his time as Leader, particularly because of his failure to take action to tackle antisemitism.
"It's vital that voters can see Labour has moved on decisively and irreversibly from the Corbyn era."
The move follows Sir Keir’s claim last month that Corbyn would not be allowed to stand again for Labour.
Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the news that the EHRC has taken the party out of special measures, Starmer said unequivocally: “Let me be very clear about that: Jeremy Corbyn will not stand for Labour at the next general election.
“What I said about the party changing I meant, and we are not going back, and that is why Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election.”
In a statement released today, Corbyn said: "Today, Keir Starmer has broken his commitment to respect the rights of Labour members and denigrated the democratic foundations of our Party.
“I have been elected as the Labour MP for Islington North on 10 consecutive occasions since 1983. I am proud to represent a community that supports vulnerable people, joins workers on the picket line and fights for transformative change.
“This latest move represents a leadership increasingly unwilling to offer solutions that meet the scale of the crises facing us all. As the government plunges millions into poverty and demonises refugees, Keir Starmer has focused his opposition on those demanding a more progressive and humane alternative.
“I joined the Labour Party when I was 16 years old because, like millions of others, I believed in a redistribution of wealth and power. Our message is clear: we are not going anywhere. Neither is our determination to stand up for a better world."