Mr Corbyn’s supporters at the Town Hall on Wednesday

THERE’S no backing out now as Jeremy Corbyn filed his nomination papers at the Islington Town Hall on Wednesday ­­­­– the final confirmation that he will be on the general election ballot paper in Islington North as an independent candidate.

The council’s elections offices in Upper Street were also visited by Praful Nargund, who is the first new Labour candidate in 40 years after Mr Corbyn was blocked from standing for the party again.

Readers wondering when the Tribune will publish an interview with Mr Nargund should be aware that repeated requests to talk to him have been made over several months.

For the first time in the paper’s history, we were not sent an invitation to Labour’s campaign launch in the constituency where the Islington South and Finsbury candidate Emily Thornberry appeared and made clear she was supporting Mr Nargund over her long-time former parliamentary colleague in the north of the borough.

It was open house for journalists covering Mr Corbyn’s arrival at the Town Hall this week, as supporters gathered to cheer him up the steps.

“I’m very proud of the campaign we’ve got together in only a week and a bit,” Mr Corbyn told the Tribune.

“The support we’ve got and the reception we’re getting leads me to believe that we can approach this with confidence, but also with humility.”

The seat has been a safe Labour hold for decades and the fact Mr Nargund goes into the polls with the party holding a 26,000 majority should normally make them favourites.

But Mr Corbyn’s supporters say his four decades as a Labour MP helped cement those commanding election wins for the party and this should be recognised on voting day.

Praful Nargund gets warm backing from Emily Thornberry

With no past electoral data available to guide predictions over how Mr Corbyn’s run as an independent will fair, you could find people on the campaign trail both predicting a win for Mr Corbyn and Mr Nargund, depending on who you listened to.

Standing on the steps of the Town Hall, Mr Corbyn told supporters: “This is a campaign to challenge poverty, inequality, injustice, end all privatisation in our National Health Service, and give all our kids a decent chance for the future.”

Among those chanting “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn” as he exited the Town Hall was Islington resident, comedian and actor Rob Delaney.

“In a borough where you can walk across it and meet a million people, the flesh that he’s pressed and the shoe leather that he’s left on the streets over the decades” is what is going to count, Mr Delaney said.

Rob Delaney

“People aren’t even going to know the names of the other candidates when they go in to vote. I believe in transactional politics, where your MP does something for you in order to win your vote, and I watch him doing that.

“I get nervous when people lose sight of the fact that your MP works for you, and Jeremy has done that so brilliantly for most of my life for the people of Islington North, and you can’t put a price on that, that is so special.”

The comedian added that he thought the way Mr Corbyn has been treated by the Labour Party was “abhorrent”.

He said: “It’s crazy behaviour. What the Labour Party has done to Corbyn, and has done to other MPs, even council members and people on the smaller local level with a real purge does not make sense to me.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer removed the parliamentary whip from Mr Corbyn after saying he had downplayed concerns about anti-Semitism in the party, an accusation which he rejects.

Who wants an election hustings?

PRAFUL Nargund might not be ready for an interview with the Tribune but the newspaper has been urged to organise a husting for the constituency so voters can ask questions of candidates who are standing for election. We have sent potential dates to Mr Nargund but have so far yet to get a yes or a no. Mr Corbyn has agreed to take part in a husting.