Jeremy Corbyn [Simon Lamrock]

JEREMY Corbyn has been officially blocked from standing as a Labour party candidate in the next general election in what he calls a “shameful attack on party democracy.”

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) approved a motion today, proposed by Sir Keir Starmer, declaring Labour’s electoral prospects would be “significantly diminished” if Mr Corbyn were allowed to stand for re-election as a Labour candidate. The motion passed with 22-12 votes in favour. 

Mr Corbyn has sat as an independent candidate since 2020 when he was suspended by Mr Starmer who disciplined him for his response to the findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s investigation into how anti-Semitism was handled by the party.

Responding to the vote, Mr Corbyn said in a statement: “I will not be intimidated into silence. I have spent my entire life fighting for a fairer society on behalf of the people of Islington North, and I have no intention of stopping now.”

He called the decision “a shameful attack on party democracy, party members and natural justice,” and added: “When I was leader of the Labour Party, I was determined to build a member-led movement that gave hope to a new generation. Today’s disgraceful move shows contempt for the millions of people who voted for our Party in 2017 and 2019, and will demotivate those who still believe in the importance of a transformative Labour government.

“Now, more than ever, we should be offering a bold alternative to the government’s programme of poverty, division and repression. Keir Starmer has instead launched an assault on the rights of his own Labour members, breaking his pledge to build a united and democratic Party that advances social, economic and climate justice.

The Islington North Labour Party has also responded to the vote, arguing that constituency parties should be able to choose their own local candidate. “We reject the NEC’s undue interference in Islington North, which undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice,” a statement released today reads.

Mr Starmer’s motion did not mention the allegations of anti-Semetism against Mr Corbyn, which he has denied. However, Ed Milliband told the BBC this morning that the motion is “about one thing, which is about Jeremy Corbyn’s reaction to the EHRC report on antisemitism and his refusal to apologise for that reaction. That is the background of this. I don’t think there’s any mystery about that.”