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JEREMY CORYBN has been blocked from running as a Labour candidate at the next general election in a move condemned as “cowardly and wholly undemocratic” today.
A Labour spokesman said Sir Keir Starmer's motion passed by 22 votes to 12 at the party’s national executive committee (NEC) on Tuesday afternoon.
The motion states that the former Labour leader “will not be endorsed by the NEC as a candidate on behalf of the Labour Party at the next general election."
Transport union TSSA has expressed “deep dismay” following the Labour NEC vote.
TSSA Labour NEC member Nicola Jukes was one of the dozen voting against the motion.
She said: “We strongly believe in the democratic right of Labour members, in the constituency parties, to choose their own candidates.
"Today’s motion regarding Jeremy Corbyn was a cowardly move by the leadership and flies in the face of both Labour values and our democratic principles.
“The passing of this motion, on top of so many disappointing actions under Keir Starmer’s leadership, will prompt difficult discussions about Labour affiliation within our union.
“Let us not forget that Jeremy inspired a whole new generation of people to become active in Labour politics — and achieved better results than many other Labour leaders.”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who has served on Sir Keir’s frontbench, described the motion as “divisive, an attack on party democracy and a distraction.”
Mr Corybn’s allies highlighted Sir Keir’s comments expressing support for the local membership selecting their candidates “for every election” while he was running to become Labour leader.
“The selections for Labour candidates need to be more democratic and we should end NEC impositions,” Sir Keir said in 2020.
The Islington North Labour Party said they “strongly support” Sir Keir’s former position and rejected the NEC’s “undue interference” in the constituency.
They argued it “undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice.”
Mr Corbyn has represented Islington North since 1983, and must now decide whether to run as an independent.
However, party rules mean he could lose the membership he has held for nearly 60 years if he does announce he will run against an official Labour candidate.
Former Unite leader Len McCluskey tweeted that he “urged comrades to join the Peace and Justice Project,” which Mr Corbyn set up after stepping down as Labour leader.
It’s understood that of NEC union representatives those of Aslef, the CWU, the FBU, TSSA and Unite voted against the ban, while GMB, the Musicians’ Union and Usdaw supported it and Unison abstained.