KeirStarmer created a possible massive Labour election battle as he warned that his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn might be expelled from the party’s next election.
After the Labour whip was removed in last year’s wake of an inconclusive independent investigation into antisemitism in his time, the hard Left icon has now sat in the Commons as an independent.
A 72-year-old man was told by his lawyer to make an apologies before he could represent the party at Parliament. He refused.
He refused to rule out running as an independent in Islington-North at the party conference held in Brighton, September.
Today, Sir Keir spoke to BBC’s Political Thinking podcast and admitted that he might have to.
‘He knows what he must do in order to move this forward. He’s not chosen to do so – that’s his choice’, Sir Keir said.
Asked if that meant Mr Corbyn could be blocked from standing for Labour he added: ‘I don’t know, but at the moment that may be the case.’
“He is aware of what must be done to make this happen.” He’s not chosen to do so – that’s his choice’, Sir Keir said.
After the Labour whip was removed in last year’s wake of an inconclusive independent investigation into antisemitism in his time, the hard Left icon has now sat in the Commons as an independent.
A Corbyn-independent run in the north London constituency is certain to result in a fierce internal battle for power at next elections.
He has held the seat since 1983 and at the 2019 election he won a majority of 26,188 – down from 33,215 two years previously as Labour was hammered by Boris Johnson’s Tories.
After claiming that the anti-Semitism scale had been “dramatically overstated by political reasons for political purposes” by both Labour and other opponents, Mr Corbyn was expelled from Labour in October 2020.
The party’s National Executive Committee overturned the suspension.
A general election will be held in 2023 and 2024. It would present a problem for Sir Keir if Mr Corbyn were to run as an independent candidate. He was attacked at Brighton Conference by Corbynista Left wing.
Its panel of five members are independent of the Labour leadership but they had no power to restore the parliamentary whip. This decision is up to Sir Keir, and Nick Brown, the party chief whip.
Even though it was a condition for having the whip returned, Mr Corbyn still has not apologised.
Asked at the party conference about his plans in Islington North seat if the whip was not restored he refused to discuss ‘hypotheticals’.
He added that “As far I’m concerned, I was proud to become the Labour MP December 2019”. Since 1983, I’ve been elected 10 times to represent my constituency. Since I live in this area, I have tried my best for all residents.
‘I don’t think the Parliamentary Labour Party should try to gainsay what the National Executive has decided so as far as I am concerned there is no case other than I should be reinstated on the Labour whip.’
Bookmaker Coral today gave Corbyn a 3-1 vote to win the seat in the next general elections.
Spokesman Harry Aitkenhead said: ‘We think if he does not get reinstated into the party before the next UK vote, it will harm his chances quite significantly.’