“We support the democratic right of local members to decide who the Labour candidate should be.”
Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn.
By our correspondent
Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn have issued a new online petition and are urging people to sign it in order to show their support for democracy in Islington North.
The launching of the petition follows widespread anger at Keir Starmer’s recent move to block Jeremy Corbyn and deny members of Islington North Constituency Labour Party their democratic right to choose their candidate at the next General Election.
Amongst those who opposed the anti-democratic move were Islington North CLP whose officers said “We reject the NEC’s undue interference in Islington North, which undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice.”
And Islington Trades Union Council who pointed out that, “Jeremy has supported Islington workers in their struggles [and] this has been particularly noticeable during the mainly public sector strikes of the last 9 months.”
In explaining the thinking behind the new petition, Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn say “The national Labour Party are attempting to strip the Islington North Labour Party of their democratic right to choose their candidate for MP. This not only an insult to Jeremy Corbyn, our dedicated and hardworking MP, but also to the local party and the thousands of residents who have repeatedly elected him. Please sign to show that you support Islington North Labour Party’s right to choose their candidate in line with Keir Starmer’s February 2020 statement, local Party members should select their candidates for every election.’”
The petition – which will be sent to current Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn – reads as follows: “The decision to block you from standing as a Labour candidate in Islington North is wrong and undemocratic. It disrespects the mandate of Islington North Constituency Labour Party and your constituents who have voted for you for over 40 years. We support the democratic right of local members to decide who the Labour candidate should be.”
- You can sign the Respect for Democracy in Islington North petition here.
- Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn is a group of Islington North residents “established to stand up for our democratic rights which are under threat from the actions of the national Labour Party.” To find out more and sign up for a newsletter, please go to their website.
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