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Corbynistas lash out at Starmer over deselection move

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Sir Keir Starmer was determined to upset Rishi Sunak’s big speech this morning, exhibiting the cynicism which secured him the Labour leadership. Starmer announced midway through Sunak’s speech that he was submitting a motion to the party’s ruling body to confirm that Corbyn will not be the official Labour candidate in Islington North at the general election next year.

Such a move has been long anticipated. But what was striking is that this motion to bar Corbyn cited the 2019 election result and that his future candidacy would reduce Labour’s chances of victory, rather than mentioning the EHRC’s investigation for antisemitism – the main reason for Starmer’s announcement last month he wouldn’t be a candidate again. And it seems that reasoning has not gone down too well with some of the Magic Grandpa’s few remaining followers.

His former spokesman James Schneider pointed out that ‘If you follow Keir Starmer’s logic, then all former leaders would be turfed out of the parliament after losing an election’ adding ‘We can only hope such a fate befalls Keir Starmer one day: a true lowlife, a political fraud and stain on British public life.’

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Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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