Jeremy Corbyn to launch campaign for re-election as independent MP
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will launch his campaign to be re-elected as the independent MP for Islington North on Wednesday night.
The launch is being hosted at a community centre which was officially opened by the politician in 2018 as part of a social housing project.
Mr Corbyn will be there with community leaders and local residents.
In a speech, he will vow to be “an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace”.
He will promise to stand up for those “who aren’t being served by our political system…who aren’t being heard” and whose “demands fall on deaf ears”.
The demands include an end to the occupation of Palestine, a fully public NHS, the abolition of the two-child benefit cap, public ownership of water and energy, and rent controls, according to his campaign.
“When I vote in Parliament, I don’t vote alone,” Mr Corbyn will conclude.
“I vote with my community – and our campaign will bring people of all ages, backgrounds and faiths together for a fairer society.”
Last week, Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Corbyn’s days of influencing Labour are “over”.
Asked for his response to suggestions that he was “cherry-picking” candidates including Praful Nargund, who will stand for Labour in Islington North, Sir Keir told broadcasters: “Jeremy Corbyn’s days of influencing Labour Party policy are well and truly over.
“Jeremy Corbyn’s decision is his decision. What I’m intent on doing is putting first class Labour candidates in Islington North, which we have now done.”
Sir Keir defended his decision to ban Mr Corbyn from standing for Labour as part of his efforts to “tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots”.
Mr Corbyn began sitting as an Independent in 2020 after refusing to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the Labour Party broke equality law when he was in charge.
He said allegations of antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.
