Against ban on Corbyn, against "independent" contest

Since the 28 March decision by Labour’s National Executive (NEC) to formalise Keir Starmer’s ban on Jeremy Corbyn standing as Labour candidate in Islington North at the next election, Islington North Labour Party has protested and “Islington Friends of Jeremy Corbyn” has started a petition to back Corbyn.

More important than a petition is what can be done in the unions. At the NEC GMB, Usdaw and MU voted for the ban, and Unison abstained; Unite, CWU, Aslef, TSSA, and FBU voted against (with the disability rep and five CLP reps).

The ban motion recognised Corbyn as a Labour member in good standing, and cited no “offence” by him, only a (highly doubtful) opinion that his candidacy would harm Labour’s overall vote in the next general election. That would provide a precedent for banning almost any other left candidate too.

In the Islington labour movement, one Labour councillor, Matt Nathan, has resigned to sit as an independent, but quietly. Another, Phil Graham, has said he will back Corbyn if Corbyn stands against Labour, even at the cost of being expelled himself, and then sit as independent until 2026, when he would step down anyway because of poor health.

Mostly the local labour movement seems to be waiting to see what can be done to push back against the ban. Phil Graham says that even if Corbyn stands, “there’s going to be no new party”; it will be as an independent.

Solidarity is for reversing the ban, but not for Corbyn standing against Labour. Cost: enabling Starmer to sweep out hundreds or thousands of leftists. Benefit: only a few more speeches (and some of them politically poor) by Corbyn in Parliament.