Jeremy Corbyn has announced he is standing as an independent candidate in Islington North.
It comes after the Labour Party kickstarted the process last week to find its own candidate to replace its former leader, who has represented the north London seat for more than 40 years.
Sir Keir Starmer effectively barred his predecessor from ever standing as a Labour candidate when he proposed a motion by the party's ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), which said Mr Corbyn "will not be endorsed by the NEC as a candidate on behalf of the Labour Party at the next general election".
It cited Labour's dismal defeat in the 2019 general election in arguing his candidacy should be blocked and said the party's chances of securing a majority in the Commons would be "significantly diminished" if he was endorsed.
Mr Corbyn was first elected to represent Islington North in 1983 and has won it at each of the past 10 elections.
Appealing to life-long Labour voters with a rousing message in the Islington Tribune, Mr Corbyn said: "I am here to represent the people of Islington North on exactly the same principles that I've stood by my whole life: social justice, human rights and peace."
He went on to say that "these principles are needed now more than ever before", vowing to defend "a genuine alternative to the corrupt years of this Tory government" including rent controls, public ownership of energy and water, the abolition of the 2-child-benefits cap, a Green New Deal, and an ethical foreign policy based on peace and human rights.
Mr Corbyn added: "When I was first elected, I made a promise to stand by my constituents no matter what. In Islington North, we keep our promises."
Mr Corbyn has been without the party whip - meaning he cannot sit as a Labour MP in the Commons - since 2020 following his response to a report into antisemitism within the party by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which Sir Keir and his allies felt downplayed the significance of the problem while he was leader.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
