The left-wing former leader of the Labour Party has seen over 50 years of association with the party come to an official end, as he announces he’ll stand as an independent in the upcoming general election.
Blocked as Standing Last Year
Labour formally blocked Jeremy Corbyn’s standing as a Labour candidate last year. The upcoming election will be the first time since 1983 that Mr Corbyn won’t campaign as a Labour candidate.
Labour Governing Body Voted on Corbyn
In 2022, Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), voted 22-12 that they shouldn’t endorse Jeremy Corbyn as a Labour parliamentary candidate.
Starmer Happy With the Outcome
At the time of the blocking, Keir Starmer (who proposed the notion of blocking Corbyn) said, “Jeremy Corbyn does not sit as a Labour MP and will not be a candidate at the next election for the Labour party.”
Labour Membership Retained
Despite being blocked from standing, Corbyn remained a member of the Labour Party. He was already the MP for Islington North, so he remained in the job as an independent.
Announced He Will Run Again as an Independent
Following his announcement that he will run as an independent candidate, the Labour Party have formally revoked his membership. His expulsion from the party ends almost 50 years of membership.
Cracks Started Under Corbyn’s Leadership
The accusations of antisemitism within the Labour Party during Corbyn’s leadership were the start of the biggest issues. Several complaints were filed against him during his time, and the accusations within the media about his anti-semitic opinions followed him closely.
Investigation Followed His Leadership
Corbyn was originally suspended for remarks he made following the Equalities and Human Rights Commission antisemitism report in 2020, where they investigated the reports of antisemitism in the party whilst he was leader.
Comments on Investigation Led to Temporary Suspension
After the investigation, Corbyn said that “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.”
Starmer Retaliated Shortly Afterwards
Following Corbyn’s comments, Keir Starmer held a press conference in which he said that “anyone who thought the problems were ‘exaggerated’ or were a ‘factional attack’ were part of the problem and should be nowhere near the Labour Party.”
Initial Suspension Instigated
Following the report and subsequent comments, Corbyn was suspended from the Labour party pending further investigation. The centrists in the party supported it, and the leftists fought the decision.
Re-Admittance, but Not Re-Acceptance
Following the investigation, Corbyn was allowed to rejoin the Labour party, but didn’t restore the whip to him. It effectively made him a party member without any political sway or responsibility.
Olive Branch Offered
The Labour Chief Whip, Nick Brown, wrote a letter to Corbyn in which he said Corbyn needed to “unequivocally, unambiguously and without reservation apologise for your comments” to be accepted to the parliamentary party again. Corbyn hasn’t done so as yet.
Door Wasn’t Fully Closed
As recently as 2021, when Starmer was asked whether or not Corbyn would be re-accepted into the Labour Party, he said Corbyn “knows what he must do in order to move this forward” and that not doing so was “his choice”.
Independent Campaign Commencement Speech
He stated his aim: “I am here to represent the people of Islington North on exactly the same principles that I’ve stood by my whole life: social justice, human rights, and peace.”
Can Corbyn Win as an Independent?
Absolutely. It’s more likely that Corbyn will win than not. He remains a very popular MP and has spent his life helping others on a local scale. He has a sound majority, so expect him to win again. He’s a great local politician – just too left-wing to represent the interests of an entire nation.
Labour Unlikely to Want Corbyn Back
Corbyn fought and lost two General Elections for the Labour Party, and under his leadership, the party became more divided. Infighting got worse, leading to left-wing splinter groups forming. While there were highs under his leadership, there were also plenty of lows.
The Initial Starmer Task Was to Move the Party On
In the early days of his leadership, Starmer’s primary task was to regroup the Labour Party, try to heal the internal divisions and move them on from the darker days that marked the end of the party under Jeremy Corbyn.
Latest Twist in a Long Political Story
Being kicked out of the Labour Party is the latest drama in Jeremy Corbyn’s political career. He’s no stranger to the fight – he’s lived it for 50 years. He’s a natural rebel regarding authority, but he’s a man of sound principles.
Happy Ending for Both
Whilst the split was acrimonious, the end result worked for both. Labour left behind the Corbyn era of division and the ‘lefty’ label, and Corbyn was able to continue his political career without toeing a party line he didn’t agree with.
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