Jeremy Corbyn: Labour vote to ban ex-leader standing as candidate

Englishboy

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Surely in a supposedly democratic party, local party members in Islington North should be free to choose their own candidate! :(


Labour's governing body has voted to ban Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate at the next election.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 22 to 12 to approve a motion from Sir Keir Starmer to prevent Labour endorsing Mr Corbyn.
There is no appeal within Labour's process.

Mr Corbyn is suspended from being a Labour MP and sits as an independent following a row over antisemitism.

On Monday, the former Labour leader said he was "not going anywhere".

The BBC understands that Jeremy Corbyn is considering running as an independent candidate in Islington North.

Mr Corbyn criticised the Labour leader, claiming Sir Keir "has broken his commitment to respect the rights of Labour members and denigrated the democratic foundations of our party", in a statement issued on Monday.

"I joined the Labour Party when I was 16 years old because, like millions of others, I believed in a redistribution of wealth and power," he added.

"Our message is clear: we are not going anywhere. Neither is our determination to stand up for a better world."

Last month, Sir Keir announced that Mr Corbyn would not be a Labour candidate, confirming months of speculation.

The NEC has the power to endorse, or not endorse, a candidate selected for election.

Mr Corbyn has represented his constituency of Islington North as a Labour MP since 1983 until his suspension in October 2020. He now represents the constituency as an independent.

The Islington North Constituency Labour Party said it "rejects the NEC's undue interference" in who it chooses as an MP.

The NEC vote "undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice," the group said in a statement.

"We believe in the democratic right of all constituency parties to choose their prospective parliamentary candidate."

The NEC readmitted Mr Corbyn to the Labour Party as a member in November 2020 - but he is blocked from representing the party in Parliament.
 

Angela Channing

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This has nothing to do with anti-Semitism and everything to do with crushing left wing opinion in the Labour Party. Instead of fighting the Tories, Starmer wants to fight a decent hard working, loyal and committed anti-racist socialist. I am livid about this undemocratic and authoritarian move by Keir Starmer and if it passes I probably won't be voting Labour at the next general election for the first time ever.
 

Englishboy

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It’s all probably part of a pathetic attempt to try to win over the right wing press; the theory being that if he can get somebody like Murdoch to endorse him that the votes will then follow.

I know that in recent times some of those at the top of the party have (worryingly) even been giving Tony Blair’s “third way” rhetoric an outing.

Finally, it doesn’t help Labour’s electoral fortunes that Starmer has the charm and charisma of a lamp post in my opinion!! :(
 
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Julia's Gun

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Keir Starmer is the biggest fraud of the 21st century so far. Thinks he can slide into power promising nothing and biting the hand that fed him. If this is how he treats the left-leaning party voters who elected him, imaging how he'll treat the electorate at large.
Don't trust him at all - he's a bland, lying, soulless establishment bureaucrat. I almost want the Tories to win again just so he can be permanently erased from history as a failed also ran, and take his ghastly right-wing rump of cohorts like Wes Streeting with him. None of them are socialists, just empty careerist muppets.

Sorry, rant over.
 

Englishboy

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I agree 100% with what you say @Julia's Gun .

I don’t know what the rank and file party members were thinking of when they decided to hand the Labour leadership to Starmer.

The excellent and very telegenic Rebecca Long Bailey would have been my choice. :)
 

Angela Channing

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Keir Starmer is the biggest fraud of the 21st century so far. Thinks he can slide into power promising nothing and biting the hand that fed him. If this is how he treats the left-leaning party voters who elected him, imaging how he'll treat the electorate at large.
Don't trust him at all - he's a bland, lying, soulless establishment bureaucrat. I almost want the Tories to win again just so he can be permanently erased from history as a failed also ran, and take his ghastly right-wing rump of cohorts like Wes Streeting with him. None of them are socialists, just empty careerist muppets.

Sorry, rant over.
I completely agree with your excellent post.

Keir Starmer is a politician made from the same mould as Boris Johnson and David Cameron in that they have no principles other than winning. They are driven by personal ambition rather than wanting to create a better, more prosperous and fairer society. When Starmer stood for the Labour leadership he promised to policies such as scrapping tuition fees, nationalising public services and strengthening trade union rights. Almost immediately after he got elected he abandoned those pledges and it was clear he just lied to attract support from party members who previously supported Jeremy Corbyn. Starmer will say just about anything to get elected Prime Minister and people shouldn't trust him.
 

Englishboy

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When Starmer stood for the Labour leadership he promised to policies such as scrapping tuition fees, nationalising public services and strengthening trade union rights. Almost immediately after he got elected he abandoned those pledges and it was clear he just lied to attract support from party members who previously supported Jeremy Corbyn.

Very true.

However, I still believe that the rank and file membership should have given “the crown” to the very able Rebecca Long Bailey given that she was the preferred candidate of BOTH Jeremy Corbyn and the excellent John McDonnell (the ex Shadow Chancellor).

Rebecca was the continuity candidate for those wanting more of the same. :)
 
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Frank Underwood

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As an American who watched my socialist candidate get smeared and cheated by corrupt establishment hacks, I sympathize with your plight. However, for those of you considering not voting for the Labour Party, aren't you afraid of being voter shamed and accused of supporting the opposing party? I've certainly experienced that. ;)

In all seriousness, I respect people for refusing to support ANY party that tramples on their principles. It's just a shame not everybody extends that same courtesy to others.
 
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Angela Channing

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Very true.

However, I still believe that the rank and file membership should have given “the crown” to the very able Rebecca Long Bailey given that she was the preferred candidate of BOTH Jeremy Corbyn and the excellent John McDonnell (the ex Shadow Chancellor).

Rebecca was the continuity candidate for those wanting more of the same. :)
Personally, I wanted Clive Lewis to win but he couldn't get enough nominations to stand. Of the candidates that were nominated, Rebecca Long Bailey was the best option. She is highly intelligent and unlike Mr Corbyn, she isn't as rooted in ideology and is more pragmatic. I think she would have made a great leader.

Keir Starmer presented his policies as being a more electable version of Corbynism. He lied to get himself elected.
 

Angela Channing

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However, for those of you considering not voting for the Labour Party, aren't you afraid of being voter shamed and accused of supporting the opposing party? I've certainly experienced that. ;)
If I thought voting for The Green Party would make a Conservative Party victory more likely, I wouldn't do it, I would want to use my vote more effectively to get our rotten government out of office. However, our voting system is different, we don't vote for a Prime Minister directly, we vote for individual MPs who then determine who our Prime Minister will be. Even if my current Labour MP loses his seat, (he won't though) it wouldn't change the overall balance of of power in Parliament significantly. If I lived in a marginal seat, then voting anything other than Labour would be more consequential.
 

Angela Channing

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Also, Rebecca Long Bailey appears to be conspicuous by her absence these days.

It feels almost as though she is “invisible“ in Starmer’s Labour Party :(
Starmer sacked her from his Shadow Cabinet because she liked a comment on Twitter by her constituent, the actress Maxine Peake, which referred to Israel as an apartheid state, which it is. It was just an excuse he used to purge socialists from positions of influence in Labour to turn the party into something more Tory-Lite.
 

Frank Underwood

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If I thought voting for The Green Party would make a Conservative Party victory more likely, I wouldn't do it, I would want to use my vote more effectively to get our rotten government out of office. However, our voting system is different, we don't vote for a Prime Minister directly, we vote for individual MPs who then determine who our Prime Minister will be. Even if my current Labour MP loses his seat, (he won't though) it wouldn't change the overall balance of of power in Parliament significantly. If I lived in a marginal seat, then voting anything other than Labour would be more consequential.
I wasn't aware of that, so thank you. I stand by my voting choices, but I understand your position much better now.

Starmer sacked her from his Shadow Cabinet because she liked a comment on Twitter by her constituent, the actress Maxine Peake, which referred to Israel as an apartheid state, which it is. It was just an excuse he used to purge socialists from positions of influence in Labour to turn the party into something more Tory-Lite.
I usually don't weigh in on UK politics, but I just find these parallels to American politics fascinating. From our leftist party being turned into Republican-lite and ostracizing socialists to the condemnation of politicians who criticize the Israeli government and refer to Israel as an apartheid state. It's all so similar while also being so depressing.
 
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