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Jeremy Corbyn has announced he is standing as an independent candidate at the general election to fight Labour for the constituency of Islington North, vowing to be “an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace”.
The decision comes as a headache for Sir Keir Starmer, who banned his predecessor from standing for Labour after he failed to apologise for his handling of antisemitism within the party.
Corbyn has been suspended by Labour since 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge and said antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have banned Boris Johnson’s ally David Frost from standing as a Tory candidate and barred him from applying for any of the 93 seats where the party is yet to appoint a candidate.
It comes after the former Brexit secretary spent months criticising Rishi Sunak’s leadership of the party and country, even calling for him to be replaced.
Breaking: MP Craig Mackinlay stands down from election
The South Thanet MP, who lost his arms and legs, from sepsis, will not be standing at the next election to take time to recover.
Mr Mackinlay, dubbed the “bionic MP”, won peoples’ hearts during last week’s PMQs after he was given a standing ovation when he returned to Parliament.
He planned to defend his constituency when he assumed there would be a November contest, but he said Sunak’s surprise announcement of a July election had him quit as an MP.
In a statement to GB News he said: “Whilst my heart tells me to stand again, there being so much unfinished business across local regeneration and national issues which are important to me, my head knows this to be impossible at this time.
“It would be difficult to withstand the rigours of an all-out election campaign, a campaign that I’d always wish to lead from the front. Thereafter, upon being re-elected it would be difficult for me to sustain 70 to 80 hour working weeks which were the norm prior to my illness.
“I had hoped to phase my return to the House of Commons over the coming months as my abilities improved. Since leaving in-patient rehabilitation a month ago my life now revolves around various medical appointments.
“I face numerous future operations as a result of the serious sepsis that I suffered which very nearly took my life. I have only just started the prosthetic journey and I have weekly physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions.”
Former Labour MP Claudia Webbe standing as independent candidate
The MP for Leicester East has confirmed she is fighting again for her seat after being suspended from the Labour party.
Ms Webbe was found guilty and handed a 10-week suspended sentence after harassing Michelle Merritt between September 2018 and April 2020.
But her sentence was reduced after a judge found she did not threaten the victim with acid.
In a statement, she said: “My independence means I’ll listen to local people and put them first. I’ll place people and planet over profit and vote for humanity and never against. I will work for justice for Leicester East”.
‘Skydiving, catamarans’: MP Steve Baker’s extraordinary response when asked what he will do if loses election
Tory MP Steve Baker’s provided a bizarre insight into his like for high-adrenaline sports when asked what he’d do if he lost his Wycombe seat.
Opinion | So much for Farage, the British bulldog – he’d rather be Trump’s US poodle
Farage has ruled himself out of running for office for an eighth time, saying that now is not “the right time” to stand.
Instead, he revealed that his political ambitions are in the United States, and in helping to put a Republican back in the White House.
The bell has tolled for the most consequential politician never to have been elected to Westminster, says Paul Clements.
“There should be no shame in a man deciding that he’s not up to the job, or – in the old-fashioned F-word heard just a day earlier at Prime Minister’s Questions – that he is ‘frit’,” he writes.
“But the prime minister’s announcement of a general election on July 4 appeared to have caught Farage and his finely-attuned antennae off-guard.”
Breaking: Lord Frost banned from standing as a Tory
David Frost has been barred from standing as a Tory candidate in the general election, Archie Mitchell reports.
Speculation had been rife that the Conservative peer would quit the Lords in order to seek a seat in the House of Commons.
But, despite the Conservatives seeking candidates in almost 100 seats, Lord Frost has been barred from standing as a Tory.
It comes after the former Brexit secretary spent months criticising Rishi Sunak’s leadership of the party and country, even calling for him to be replaced.
He said Mr Sunak would lead the Conservatives into “an electoral car crash” and that Tory MPs should get rid of him.
Lib Dems: ‘Tories allowed sewage to flow into sea’
Before indulging in a scoop of ice cream, Lib Dems leader Sir Ed Davey took his campaign in East Sussex to attack the Tories.
He said Rishi Sunak’s government allowed Southern Water to spill sewage into the sea causing environmental and tourism damages.
Alongside Josh Babarinde, he said: “We have the ideas and we also have the candidates.”
Watch: Starmer responds to Jeremy Corbyn standing as independent candidate in general election
Starmer responds to Corbyn standing as independent candidate in general election
Sir Keir Starmer has responded after Jeremy Corbyn announced he is standing as an independent candidate in the general election. The former Labour leader said today (24 May) he will stand in his constituency of Islington North, vowing to be “an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace”. Mr Corbyn has been suspended by Labour since 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge and said antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”. Sir Keir responded to Mr Corbyn’s announcement when he appeared on BBC Breakfast on Friday.
General Election Debate: Sunak hopes to face off Starmer
The prime minister was asked about his call to challenge the Labour leader to a TV head-to-head debate every week.
Starmer has said this morning he would only commit to one and claimed Sunak is showing signs of desperation.
The PM said: “I heard this morning that he said he wanted to debate the British people rather than me. I think what the British people want are answers.
“Answers to the questions about what he would actually do if he became prime minister and how much it’s going to cost them in higher taxes. I think those are the answers that he should be providing.
“For my part, I’m very happy to debate Keir Starmer so I can set out what I want to do for this country, taking bold action, working towards a clear plan and delivering a secure future for everyone.
“That’s the choice of this election. It’s either going to be Keir Starmer or me that’s prime minister on 5 July and he should want to debate me. I want to debate him and I hope that he takes up the offer.”
Pictured: Sir Ed Davey launches Lib Dem campaign in East Sussex
Starmer accuses SNP of lack of ambition
Sir Keir Starmer accused the party of lacking ambition for Scotland during his Labour campaign launch in Glasgow.
He said: “Send a message? Send a message? That is the height of the SNP’s ambition. To send a message, a protest in Westminster.
“I don’t want Scotland to send a message. I want Scotland to send a government, a Labour government, that can stop the chaos and division, that can turn the page and rebuild Scotland and Britain.”
Source: independent.co.uk
