Jeremy Corbyn launching Labour’s general election manifesto in 2019

THEY may have kept the Labour flag flying high in Islington North for years, if not decades, but volunteer party organisers have been told they will have no role in shortlisting for a new general election candidate.

As Sir Keir Starmer’s party set out a swift timetable to choose who will be on the ballot paper in the constituency, the process was branded “undemocratic” for taking power and influence away from the people who have been there day in and day out on a local level.

Potential candidates have three days left to put their name forward, although the sitting MP Jeremy Corbyn will be blocked if he tries to get involved.

Speculation has swirled over who will be on the final shortlist but journalists Paul Mason and Christian Wolmar have already declared that they are entering the race. Islington Labour councillor Praful Nargund has been repeatedly linked to the candidacy.

While it is commonplace for a Constituency Labour Party (CLP) to have a panel drawing up the final shortlist, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has told local organisers that it will decide who members get to choose from when they vote for a preferred candidate.

The strict process triggered a letter from the CLP’s local management to all members expressing concern that there was no “prior consultation with Islington North’s democratically elected CLP officers and delegates” before the NEC made the decision to change the process.

Islington North CLP officers further criticised the NEC for a shortened selection timetable.

“The national party has delayed triggering any selection in Islington North, despite the fact that the significant size of the Labour majority indicated that this should have been undertaken many months ago,” their letter said.

“The selection process has been truncated to a mere couple of weeks and will take place online with a shortlist selected by the NEC and not the members of Islington North.

“This alone contradicts a previous statement by Keir Starmer that “local party members should select their candidates for every election”.

Meanwhile, the Tribune understands that a letter from Labour Party head office was sent to members in the borough instructing them not to comment to the press about the selection process. On top of that, Islington North CLP officers further claimed that the national party had suspended the use of its communications system ‘Organise’ which meant that “members are prevented from meeting together to discuss nominations or candidates in wards”.

The Labour Party said it would not comment on that allegation but an official source said: “Every eligible Labour member in Islington North will be able to cast their ballot to choose their candidate for the general election.”

This choice will come from the predetermined list.

On the warning about not speaking to the press, one Islington councillor told the Tribune: “I kind of agree with that because I think the selection process needs to be left to happen without being paraded about in public whilst it’s going on.

“It’s a difficult situation, and it is the policy response to that difficult situation.”

But critics said that there were attempts to limit the debate and puncture any attempt to talk about Mr Corbyn.

The former Labour leader once had Mr Starmer on his shadow front bench, leading the party’s response in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

As leader himself, Mr Starmer removed the parliamentary whip from Mr Corbyn over his response to an investigation into how anti-Semitism complaints had been handled by Labour.

“One anti-Semite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media,” Mr Corbyn had said – a comment which Mr Starmer said underplayed the problem.

While Mr Corbyn was sitting as an independent in the House of Commons, Mr Starmer later led an NEC motion to block him from standing again.

Former Labour Party member Ian Shacklock joined the party in 2017 and actively campaigned at the 2019 election, but was suspended after he posted a tweet describing Mr Starmer as a “glove puppet”.

He said: “My view is that if Jeremy is not allowed, then nobody in the Labour Party should stand. They should write it off. Just write off that constituency. Don’t bother. Don’t go there.”

Mr Wolmar, who has been living in Islington for 30 years, told the Tribune that it is “crucial” that Labour selects a local candidate. “People won’t want to see someone parachuted in to run against an incumbent who is a local candidate,” he said.

He added that he would run on a campaign that prioritised social housing and green policies if he were selected.

“I don’t see why we can’t go back to a world where we have 100 per cent social housing schemes,” he said. “It’s ridiculous that the rules are set against that and the council can’t get hold of money.”

He added: “I’m a local candidate which is very important in this race because I would potentially be going up against a local MP.”

Meanwhile, Mr Mason told the Tribune he wanted to be a Labour MP because “I think this is crunch time for our country,” adding: “We are about to see a Labour government elected that needs to deliver for the working people. I think it’s vital that Islington North has a voice in that Labour government.”

Mr Mason said he would prioritise constituents’ concerns, including saving maternity care at the Whittington Hospital, campaigning to cap rents, and pushing to meet net zero targets.

“Most Londoners have a very simple ask from the government,” he said.

“They want an affordable house, wages they can live on, and a crime free community.If I’m elected, I will focus on delivering those things to ordinary people.”

Asked about his previous attempts to win selection contests, he said: “I wouldn’t be applying if I didn’t think I had support in the local party and among the local people.

“I’ve only applied to places where I’ve got support and people are interested in me being their representative.”