Jeremy Corbyn has accused Keir Starmer of a “flagrant attack” on democracy after the Labour leader barred his predecessor from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election.
In a statement on Twitter, Corbyn said of Starmer’s decision: “This is a divisive distraction from our overriding goal: to defeat the Conservative Party.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Starmer said clearly for the first time that Corbyn would be prohibited from running under the Labour banner, opening up the prospect of the veteran MP standing as an independent.
It’s unclear from Corbyn’s statement what his next step is. An MP since 1983, Corbyn could attempt to get the backing of local Islington North members of the party. If successful, it would require Labour’s governing body to step in to block him.
The ban came as Starmer welcomed the equalities watchdog’s decision to lift the party out of two years of special measures over its past failings on anti-Semitism.
He used a speech on Wednesday to invite his opponents on the Labour left to leave the party which he said is now “unrecognisable” from its form under Corbyn.
“Let me be very clear, Jeremy Corbyn will not stand at the next general election as a Labour Party candidate,” Starmer said in east London.
“What I said about the party changing I meant and we are not going back.”
“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.”
- Jeremy Corbyn
In response, the Islington North MP wrote: “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.
“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.”