Local Labour members resign to campaign for Corbyn

Leading members of the Labour Party in Islington North, the seat represented by Jeremy Corbyn since 1983, have resigned or announced they are willing to be expelled to campaign for him.

Former Labour leader Mr Corbyn is standing as an independent after the party whip was suspended from him in 2020 - and was never restored - when he suggested the scale of antisemitism in the party was ‘dramatically overstated’ by opponents.

Labour declined to comment but said its rules were clear.

According to these, any member who supports a non-Labour candidate will be expelled if they haven’t already resigned.

The letter, addressed to "voters of Islington North", tells local Labour members were "denied the right to choose our own candidate" for the general election.

It adds the group had not taken its decision lightly, but had to "take a stand in the name of democracy and justice".

Signatories include the chair and two vice chairs who tendered their resignations in the past week, and an assistant secretary who expected to be expelled.

The letter was also signed by the constituency secretary who resigned when Jeremy Corbyn announced he’d stand as an independent, and by office bearers in local branches.

A recent poll in the north London constituency suggested Mr Corbyn was trailing behind the official Labour candidate.

His supporters will see the letter as a boost for his campaign.

The full list of general election candidates standing in the Islington North constituency is as follows:

• Liberal Democrat, Vikas Aggarwal
• Independent, Jeremy Corbyn
• Conservative, Karen Harries
• Independent, Paul Josling
• Green, Sheridan Kates
• Labour, Praful Nargund
• Reform UK, Martyn Nelson