Jeremy Corbyn has won the backing of 72 Islington North Labour Party members past or present who have written a letter to voters urging them to support him.
It is understood to include dozens who resigned in the past weeks, and comes as the party’s ex-leader battles it out against the official Labour candidate, local councillor Praful Nargund, in next week’s election.
The letter states: “We have been proud to stand alongside Jeremy over the course of ten General Elections.
“This year, we will be campaigning for him as an independent candidate for Islington North.
“Many of us have already resigned or been expelled from the Labour Party as a result.
“Those of us who are still in the Party know our support for Jeremy will result in the termination of our membership. We do not take this decision lightly, but it is time to take a stand in the name of democracy and justice.”
Out of the 72 signatories, 27 signed the letter having quit the party after Mr Corbyn had the whip removed in 2020 and before this year.
He was expelled himself when it was made clear this year that the whip would not be restored, leading to him announcing that he would stand as an independent in the constituency that he has represented since 1983.
The remaining 45 include members of the local party’s executive committee led by Labour constituency chair Alison McGarry, who recently hid behind a hedge to avoid questioning when she was spotted campaigning for Mr Corbyn in defiance of party rules. Three others are Labour vice chairs in Islington North.
While the move is a blow to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who opposed allowing Mr Corbyn to stand as a Labour candidate, most constituencies in London have thousands of Labour party members.
The race is close, according to one poll putting Labour narrowly ahead of Mr Corbyn, though, another one suggested he was trailing by a significant margin.
The letter adds: “We will campaign on the same principles we have always had. That includes ending all privatisation of our NHS in order to restore the principle of free, public and universal healthcare.
“Jeremy has always been an honest, brave and principled voice. We need that voice now, more than ever. We implore Labour voters to support Jeremy Corbyn as an independent candidate, and vote for him on the 4th July.”
The Labour Party made clear that any members who campaign against it will be expelled.
In a statement, Mr Nargund said: “I’ve been thrilled to see hundreds of local members actively campaigning for a Labour victory in Islington North. Our positive campaign has attracted many new joiners.
“This is the largest campaign ever run by Islington North Labour and we’ve spoken to thousands of residents.
“The response has been positive - people want to be part of the change Labour is offering. But we take nothing for granted - if people want change - they have to vote for it next Thursday.”
