Jeremy Corbyn to run as an independent in UK general election

A former political leader who is 74 years old will run in Islington North, his constituency, after he was removed from the Labour party candidate list.

Jeremy Corbyn, the ex-leader of the Labour Party, has decided to enter the upcoming general election as an independent candidate. This particular choice may have the potential to cause an upset for the Labour Party in his north London constituency.

On Friday, Corbyn disclosed his plan to run for office in the seat he has represented, Islington North, for over 40 years. He aims to serve as an independent advocate for equity, democracy, and tranquility.

The Labour party members did not select the 74-year-old person as one of the potential candidates for the position. This decision made him decide to run independently.

Corbyn expressed his desire for political parties to embrace democracy. However, he was disappointed to learn that members of Islington North Labour were not given the opportunity to select a candidate. He shared his thoughts on the matter through a video.

It is time for us to take a stand. We must speak out and declare that we will not tolerate this any longer. We will fight for our rights. This is precisely why I am running for the position of an independent candidate for the residents of Islington North.

Corbyn was suspended from Labour in 2020 due to a report that investigated how his leadership handled complaints of anti-Semitism. He had served as Labour leader during the 2019 election and has been the representative for Islington North since 1983.

For a long time, Corbyn has strongly criticized Israel's policies on Palestine. He has expressed his agreement with some of the discoveries made during his term as a leader. He stated that members of the Labour Party who are Jewish and the wider community have every right to expect the party to resolve these issues. Nevertheless, he mentioned that he does not agree with all the findings made.

A recent inquiry by Al Jazeera regarding the crisis revealed that high-ranking personnel within the Labour Party had made efforts to diminish support for Corbyn and sometimes even prevent discussions on Israel's handling of the Palestinian population.

Criticism Of Israel's Gaza War

Following the assault launched by Hamas, a Palestinian organization, on Israel on October 7th, Israel began a merciless campaign against Gaza which resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinians. Corbyn became a vocal opponent of the Israeli government's policies, including their Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In November, he was among the first policymakers to call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe what he referred to as a "mass slaughter" in Gaza.

The speaker mentioned that Gaza's population has had to endure a blockade for the last 16 years, and the Israeli authorities have a strong hold on the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza. Additionally, the speaker accused world leaders of providing Israel with approval to harm and kill Palestinians under the guise of protecting themselves.

He expressed that the assault led by Hamas cannot warrant "the unselective air bombardment and malnourishment of the Palestinian citizens, who are being penalized for a grievous wrongdoing they are innocuous of".

Starting from October, Corbyn has taken part in multiple demonstrations in the United Kingdom to protest against the military actions of Israel in Gaza.

Last Thursday marked the start of a six-week campaigning period for UK political leaders leading up to the country's upcoming election on July 4th.

According to a quick poll by Survation on how people intend to vote following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's announcement, the center-left Labour party received 48 points. This is their highest score since November 2022 and puts them 21 points ahead of the ruling Conservatives, who scored 27.

According to Survation, the outcomes are in line with the Labour Party's polling from the past year and the current year. Other polls have indicated comparable findings.

Al Jazeera and various news agencies