Yvette Cooper says Labour will win in Islington North at the next General Election – even if Jeremy Corbyn stands as an independent.
It was announced yesterday by Sir Keir Starmer that his predecessor will not be allowed to stand for Labour at the next election.
Despite being the MP for Islington North since 1983, Starmer unequivocally barred Corbyn from standing for the party, meaning he will have to run as an independent instead.
Commenting on the move, Cooper said she is confident Labour can still win the seat, even if the ex-leader stands against them.
“The issue is that the Labour Party has changed”, she said.
“Keir has made very clear that we have changed. We have come a very long way since 2019.
“That is the result of Keir’s leadership and I pay tribute to that because that was a really difficult period for the Labour Party.
“We must never go back there.”
Corbyn has said Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to bar him from standing as a Labour candidate at the next election is a “flagrant attack” on democracy.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Islington North MP Mr Corbyn said any attempt to block his candidacy for the seat was “denial of due process”.
He said: “Ever since I was elected as a Labour MP 40 years ago, I have fought on behalf of my community for a more equal, caring and peaceful society. Day-in day-out, I am focused on the most important issues facing people in Islington North: poverty, rising rents, the healthcare crisis, the safety of refugees, and the fate of our planet.
“Keir Starmer’s statement about my future is a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of Islington North Labour Party members. It is up to them – not party leaders – to decide who their candidate should be.
“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.”
He added: “At a time when the Government is overseeing the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, this is a divisive distraction from our overriding goal: to defeat the Conservative Party at the next general election.
“I am proud to represent the labour movement in Parliament through my constituency. I am focused on standing up for workers on the picket line, the marginalised, and all those worried about their futures.
“That is what I’ll continue to do. I suggest the Labour Party does the same.”
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