Corbyn set to be blocked as Labour candidate at next election

Jeremy Corbyn is set to be blocked from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election, with Sir Keir Starmer set to bring a motion confirming the move to a meeting of the party’s ruling body.

The Labour leader will propose a motion that will make clear that the National Executive Committee will not endorse Mr Corbyn at the next election, expected in around 18 months’ time.

Sir Keir ruled out the left-wing veteran standing again for Labour last month, as he insisted the party has undergone a transformation under his leadership.

The motion, which the NEC is expected to back at a meeting on Tuesday, says the Islington North MP “will not be endorsed by the NEC as a candidate on behalf of the Labour Party at the next general election”.

A senior Labour source said: “Keir Starmer has made clear that Jeremy Corbyn won’t be a Labour candidate at the next general election. The Labour Party now is unrecognisable from the one that lost in 2019.

“Tuesday’s vote will confirm this and ensure we can focus on our five missions to build a better Britain.”

Mr Corbyn and his allies condemned the move at the time, calling it a “flagrant attack” on democracy.

The former leader insisted it is up to members in the north London constituency to pick their candidate.

“Any attempt to block my candidacy is a denial of due process, and should be opposed by anybody who believes in the value of democracy,” he said last month.

Sir Keir ruling out Mr Corbyn standing again for Labour follows the announcement that the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s has decided to lift the party out of two years of special measures over its failings on antisemitism under Mr Corbyn.

He is currently sitting in the Commons as an independent after he was suspended from the parliamentary party over his response to the damning EHRC report in 2020 which found that Labour had broken equalities law.

The MP, who still retains support within the party and in his constituency, could now be left with the option of running as an independent candidate in the seat.