Corbyn,who served as leader from 2015 to 2020,has sat as an independent MP for Islington North in Greater London since October 2020 after he wassuspended from Labour following his reaction to a UK equalities watchdog probe into anti-semitism within the party. It identified “serious failings in leadership” under Corbyn and “an inadequate process for handling anti-semitism complaints”.
Corbyn was sacked from the parliamentary Labour Party for later saying the scale of the party’s anti-semitism problem had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons” during the inquiry.
First elected to the British parliament 40 years ago,the 73-year-old accused Starmer of breaking his commitment to Labour members and denigrating the “democratic foundations of our party”.
He said he had “no intention of stopping” when it came to fighting for his constituents,adding:“I will not be intimidated into silence”. Corbyn,still popular among the party’s hard-left faction,is now widely expected to contest the next election as an independent.
In a statement,he said the decision was a “shameful attack on party democracy,party members and natural justice”.
“When I was leader of the Labour Party,I was determined to build a member-led movement that gave hope to a new generation. Today’s disgraceful move shows contempt for the millions of people who voted for our party,and will demotivate those who still believe in the importance of a transformative Labour government.”