The rally in Archway

A DETERMINED activist lamented how the climate emergency had not been put centre stage at the general election by the main parties as she joined canvassers for Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday.

The independent candidate thanked environmental campaign group Green New Deal Rising (GNDR) for its endorsement at a gathering in Navigator Square, Archway.

Mikaela Loach, an environmental activist and author of It’s Not that Radical: Climate Action to Reform Our World, said: “Jeremy Corbyn was the first person to make me believe that electoral politics could actually make a difference.”

In an interview with the Tribune, she said many people had been disappointed about how little Labour and the Tories had spoken about tackling the climate crisis throughout the campaign, and encouraged them to vote for independent candidates.

Mikaela Loach with Jeremy Corbyn

Ms Loach said: “I think people are really engaged with the climate issue and I think a lot of people have been quite disappointed with how divorced from reality the main parties have been around this. I think this is the main reason people are really inspired by independents and by the Green Party who are going to gain more seats across the country.” The 26-year-old added: “I think the main parties are not having the bravery they should to tackle big corporations, to tackle austerity, and to create a world that is better for the majority not just the 1 per cent.”

In response to Sir Keir Starmer’s manifesto launch comments that Labour was no longer ‘the party of protest’, Ms Loach said “That was a silly thing for Starmer to say. Without the impact of protest, the Labour manifesto on climate would have been indistinguishable from the Tories’ manifesto.

“Every single thing that was positive for the climate that was in Labour’s manifesto was a result of protest, was a result of organising, was a result of people putting on pressure. So it’s really important that we don’t allow any party to remove our freedom to protest, our right to protest as that’s what has allowed all of us the freedoms that we have today.”

Mr Corbyn said: “Green New Deal Rising is about empowering people to improve the lot of their local community, to improve the biodiversity, and improve the lives of all of us, better air quality, more open space, more trees, and better quality of life for all.”

Rebels say they will vote for Corbyn

MORE than 70 current and recently resigned or expelled members of Islington North Labour Party have signed a letter pleading for constituents to vote for independent candidate Jeremy Corbyn when they head to the ballot boxes on Thursday.

Signatories include chair of the now ex-Islington North CLP chair Alison McGarry, and her two vice chairs, Bisi Williams and Gill Lawton. Ms McGarry resigned her post last week after she was caught helping canvassers for Mr Corbyn’s campaign by a Labour ward officer.

It is understood that her colleague Ms Williams resigned the following day.

The letter, addressed to the voters of Islington North, say many community campaigns launched by the local party in recent years – including defending the Number 4 bus route and saving the Whittington A&E department – had brought the party together.

The former CLP members said: “These campaigns have united members from all sides of our party, and we are proud of the collegiate atmosphere that we have created. In many ways, Islington North CLP was the genuine broad church that the Labour Party claims to be.”

The letter added: “We have been proud to stand alongside Jeremy over the course of 10 general elections. This year, we will be campaigning for him as an independent candidate for Islington North. Many of us have already resigned or been expelled from the Labour Party as a result.

“Those of us who are still in the party know our support for Jeremy will result in the termination of our membership. We do not take this decision lightly, but it is time to take a stand in the name of democracy and justice.”

Labour leader Sir Keir 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.

The party later blocked him from standing for Labour again.

Your choice

Candidates in our borough’s constituencies

ISLINGTON NORTH
Vikas Aggarwal (Lib Dems)
Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)
Karen Harries (Conservative)
Paul Josling (Independent)
Praful Nargund (Labour)
Sheridan Kates (Green)
Martyn Nelson (Reform UK)

ISLINGTON SOUTH & FINSBURY
Nasreen Najeeb (Workers Party)
Max Nelson (Reform UK)
Andrew Parry (Independent)
Jake Painter (SDP)
Carne Ross (Green)
Ethan Saunders (Tusc)
Imogen Sinclair (Conservative)
Terry Stacy (Lib Dem)
Emily Thornberry (Labour)
Lesley Woodburn (Party of Women)

• It’s now less than a week until the big day – polling stations open for the general election on Thursday at 7am pm and close at 10pm. Photo ID is needed to take part. You can follow the results and reaction on our website, and a special edition of the paper out next Friday.