‘Labour must let Islington North members pick candidate to take on Corbyn’

Islington North Labour Party has been in a state of limbo for more than three years. The MP, Jeremy Corbyn, was suspended in October 2020 and it soon became apparent that he would not be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate again although it took until March 2023 for that to be ratified by the national executive committee (NEC).

While there are some members in the party who disagree with that decision, there are many more who are keen to move on from the Corbyn era. It is time they are allowed to do so.

 During these 10 months since Corbyn’s ban, however, the local party has not been allowed to make any move towards selecting a new candidate.

Meanwhile all winnable and even many non-target seats have candidates in place. All indications are that this deadlock is not about to be broken soon.

Local members want a say, not an imposed candidate

 That is a very unsatisfactory and potentially damaging situation. The real risk is that a snap election will be called and that consequently the temptation will be to simply impose a candidate, with no input from the local party.

That is the unanimous view of every member I have spoken to in the constituency, many of whom will be reluctant to campaign for an imposed candidate despite their avowed opposition to Corbyn.

 Having just received a leaflet extolling Corbyn’s record through my door, it is clear that he is not going to go away quietly and will stand as an independent. The leaflet leans heavily on his local record, with no mention of Labour, though it is red.

I don’t doubt that Corbyn will stand as an independent

He has 40 years of background knocking on doors and dealing very effectively with casework in the constituency and his name recognition will obviously be very high.

To have a chance of winning the seat against him, a new candidate will need more than the three weeks envisaged by the current plan.

Inevitably, if the selection process is started, there will be considerable publicity. But I suspect that the loyalty of many members, even many fervent Corbyn supporters, will be for the party rather than the individual.

It will be party loyalty vs loyalty to Corbyn – we need to have that conversation now

At least once this process is begun, then those debates can take place. Far better now than allowing Islington North to become an issue at the beginning of the party’s election campaign.

 The party must have the courage and the conviction to see this through, rather than hoping the issue will go away. And the new person will have the time to establish themselves as the genuine Labour candidate

. It will, too, force Corbyn’s hand by revealing his intentions which have, so far, been hidden.

 I have a personal interest in this. As a former Parliamentary candidate and an active member of the constituency since 1989, I am keen to put my name forward. I know the area, the people, the issues.

Potential candidates – myself included – are keen to get cracking

Crucially, I have the strength and experience to stand up to the expected hostility from some of Corbyn’s supporters. It will be a fierce contest but one in which I am qualified to participate.

Moreover, I have nothing to lose. Given my age, I am not risking any future political career.

 I do also have something unique offer. Given my expertise in transport matters, and in particular my understanding of the railway system, I feel I can contribute to the new Labour government’s work on recreating a renationalised railway and on how its wider green agenda can meld in with the need for sustainable transport.

There will be other candidates, of course, but I am sure that like me, they are keen to get cracking. Leaving the field open for Corbyn till the last minute risks Islington not being represented by a Labour MP for the first time in its history.