“The ideas of equality, justice & peace are eternal. That hope for a better world can never be extinguished.”
Jeremy Corbyn
Following his election victory, winning in Islington North as an independent candidate, Jeremy Corbyn released the following statement thanking the movement behind his campaign and calling for activists to get organised for the future.
Tonight, our community made history.
This election was never about me. It has always been about our community and the values we share. And it’s about our undying belief that there is an alternative to inequality, poverty and war.
Tonight’s result in Islington North gives us a glimpse of a different future, which puts the interests of the many ahead of those of the few. It is also a warning – a warning to the incoming government that dissent cannot be crushed without consequences. The ideas of equality, justice and peace are eternal. That hope for a better world can never be extinguished.
Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we organise. The energy we have unleashed will not go to waste. We are a movement made up of all ages, backgrounds and faiths. A movement which can win with and for people all over the country.
Thank you to everybody who built this campaign, making it the most inclusive I have ever been a part of.
Thank you to every single person who exercised their democratic right to vote. It has been the honour of my life to represent you, the people of Islington North. I will continue to learn from you, be accountable to you, and draw inspiration from you.
The future we speak of is no pipedream – our community is proof that a kinder, fairer world is possible.
The Peace & Justice Project also read a statement, which said that “Jeremy Corbyn’s victory in Islington North follows a brief but intense campaigning effort in the constituency, which saw thousands of volunteers descend upon North London to persuade the electorate to vote for a platform of hope, peace and social justice instead of Labour’s stagnant austerity politics.
“In the space of just 5 weeks, the Corbyn campaign had knocked on over 30,000 doors and saw off the Labour Party’s private healthcare profiteer candidate and many so-called party grandees who came to Islington North to campaign. In the end, Jeremy Corbyn overturned his own 26,188 majority and went on to win by 7,247 votes in what is one of the great upsets in modern politics.”
It added that, “Speaking on his way home from the count at a packed Bedford Tavern where his campaign team had gathered to watch the election returns, Jeremy Corbyn said: “This result is a glimpse of a different future, which puts the interests of many ahead of those of the few. It is also a warning – a warning to the incoming government that dissent cannot be crushed without consequences” and can be read in full here.
- You can follow Jeremy Corbyn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; and follow Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- Over this week, we will publish the statements and acceptance speeches of a range of MPs in order to help promote discussion and debate on the Left, & to cover the news the corporate media doesn’t.
