Jeremy Corbyn MP

• IN response to Izzy Rowley’s piece on Jeremy Corbyn’s exclusion from standing for the Labour Party at the next general election (Any new Labour candidate standing in Corbyn’s constituency ‘would be a scab’, says councillor, November 24), I would like to express what it feels like as a Labour Party member and a voter in Islington North.

Labour’s leadership seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot in Islington North and nationally.

By denigrating the previous party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir Starmer and others open themselves up to Tory attacks for their past support and association with him. They also revive and reinforce narratives about Labour and anti-Semitism.

Corbyn’s exclusion from the parliamentary party and from standing as a Labour MP casts an unsubstantiated racist shadow on him and anyone who supports him. This is deeply insulting to party members who have opposed all forms of racism and discrimination.

Local party members are becoming alienated by an increasingly authoritarian leadership style which keeps them in a state of limbo. They are being denied the democratic right of an open choice of candidate to stand in the constituency, though they will be expected to campaign obediently for them at the next general election.

Corbyn has been a devoted constituency MP for 40 years, elected 10 times with large majorities. He has deep connections in the community and even before he was Labour leader he was known to many Islington residents in the constituency.

Local party members are being denied the right to choose a candidate and Labour’s leadership are risking the loss of a solidly safe Labour seat.

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