Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has branded current leader Sir Keir Starmer’s move to block him for standing for reelection on a Labour ticket an assault on democracy.
Corbyn, an old-fashioned far-left socialist aged 73, was elected and then reelected Labour leader with overwhelming grassroots support in 2015 and 2016, much to the chagrin of a more Blairite, globalist parliamentary party — though Sir Keir Starmer, a politician very much in the latter mould, agreed to serve in Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet happily enough for years.
Now, however, Corbyn is being forced out by Sir Keir, ostensibly over statements he made suggesting that findings of antisemitism within Labour were exaggerated for “political reasons”. Corbyn had already been suspended from the party for these remarks; now his successor says he will not be allowed to stand for reelection.
“Keir Starmer’s statement about my future is a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of Islington North Labour Party members,” Corbyn complained on social media, referring to the party association for the parliamentary constituency he has represented since 1983 — some four decades.
“It is up to them — not party leaders — to decide who their candidate should be,” he insisted.
“Any attempt to block my candidacy is a denial of due process, and should be opposed by anybody who believes in the value of democracy.”
Corbyn also suggested that Sir Keir’s attempt to purge him from the party was a “distraction” from the campaign to dislodge the Conservatives (Tories) as Britain’s governing party, which the leftist outfit is currently on course to do as the Tories’ voters abandon them en masse under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, despite having just one their biggest parliamentary majority since the 1980s under Boris Johnson in December 2019.
A statement on my future as the MP for Islington North. pic.twitter.com/LFOgujYGwN
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 15, 2023
A man of many controversies, including meetings with a Communist spy during the Cold War and “solidarity” with the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorist organisation as it murdered British officials, police officers, servicemen, and regular civilians, the pro-Palestine leftist was particularly dogged by allegations that antisemitism thrived in Labour on his watch.
“Antisemitism is an evil and no political party that cultivates it deserves to hold power,” Sir Keir said when announcing Corbyn’s full purging.
“Those who seek to blame others or downplay what happened in our party are, themselves, part of the problem and we will have zero patience or tolerance of that,” he added, in reference to his predecessor’s objections to the allegations.
Sir Keir has not always been so strict with Labour MPs accused of giving succour to discrimination, however, having promoted Pakistani heritage Naz Shah to his Shadow government despite her having previously been suspended for antisemitism and having controversially ‘liked’ and retweeted a post on Twitter suggesting “abused girls in Rotherham and elsewhere just need to shut their mouths. For the good of diversity”.
Labour’s Naz Shah Marks Death of Winnie Mandela with ‘Inspirational’ Quote Endorsing ‘Necklacing’ Murders https://t.co/ePNOuYW5oK
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 4, 2018
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