Londoner’s Diary
The race is on to end Jeremy Corbyn’s 41-year stint as the MP for Islington North. The former Labour leader has been kicked out of his old party by Sir Keir Starmer and barred from standing for the party at the next election.
As a general election nears, we hear rowdy whispers that journalist Paul Mason is emerging as a Labour challenger to Corbyn in his seat.
Mason recently urged Corbyn not to stand as an independent in Islington or to set up a far-Left party to rival Labour. “I hope Corbyn will think again,” he said, “I want to persuade those tempted by the idea of a new Left party, the Starmer project is a better bet.”
In an apparent bid for support from Labour members in Islington North, Mason pointed out in a recent New European column: “Around 80% of voters in Islington North backed a second referendum. Corbyn opposed it for as long as he could.”
Mason, a former BBC and Channel 4 journalist, previously supported Corbyn as Labour leader, but he has been on a political journey away from the far-Left.
He has critcised Corbyn over the handling of anti-Semitism complaints in Labour. He has also broken with parts of the Left over what he views as insufficient backing for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
In the past two years, Mason has unsuccessfully sought Labour selection in three seats across the UK.
He still has to beat local councillors vying for selection in order to go head-to-head against his former ally Corbyn.
