Local Work members inside Jeremy Corbyn's seat have expressed their anger at party bosses over the way their candidate for the general election was chosen.
They accused Labor headquarters of overseeing a “scandalously undemocratic selection process” after Praful Nargund, who runs a private company, IVF firm, was picked as the party's hopeful in Islington North.
He faces a bitter battle against Mr Corbyn, who has been Islington North MP since 1983, with many local Labor members still backing the veteran left winger.
Corbyn, the former Labor leader, was expelled by his successor Sir Keir Starmer from running as the party's parliamentary candidate after being suspended in 2020.
He has now been expelled from Labor entirely after confirming he will stand as an independent candidate in the July 4 general election.
In a sign of the intense battle that will take place between Corbyn and Nargund in the coming weeks, Labor is facing a mutiny by local party members.
Local Labor members in Jeremy Corbyn's seat have expressed their anger at party bosses over the way their general election candidate was chosen
They accused the Labor headquarters of an “extremely undemocratic selection process” after Praful Nargund, who runs a private IVF company with his mother Geeta, was picked as the party's hopeful.
Former Labor Party leader Corbyn was barred from serving as the party's parliamentary candidate by his successor Sir Keir Starmer after being suspended in 2020.
In a strongly worded statement, Islington North Constituency Labor Party (CLP) officials condemned Sir Keir and his team over Mr Nargund's appointment.
In a strongly worded statement, Islington North Constituency Labor Party (CLP) officials condemned Sir Keir and his team over Mr Nargund's appointment.
They accused Labor bosses of showing 'contempt' for local activists in the north London seat.
“On 24 May, Islington North CLP members learned through a post on X from the London Regional Labor Party that the CLP parliamentary candidate had been appointed,” the statement said.
'This decision has not been communicated directly to CLP members and CLP officials.
'The CLP was not given the opportunity to meet the nominated candidate nor understand his policy positions.
'This is the final stage in a blatantly undemocratic selection process.
“Once again the national Labor Party has shown contempt for hardworking and dedicated members who campaigned relentlessly for the re-election of London Labor Mayor Sadiq Khan.
'The Labor Party defines itself as a democratic socialist party. On this basis, all members, including those in Islington North, have the right to have a real say in democratic decision-making, including the right to choose their parliamentary candidate.
'In the case of the CLP selection process in Islington North, the actions of the Labor Party have fallen far short of set democratic standards.'
Sir Keir said on Friday that Corbyn's days of exerting influence over Labor are 'over' following the former leader's expulsion from the party.
Asked for his response to suggestions he was fielding candidates, including Mr Nargund, Sir Keir told broadcasters: 'Jeremy Corbyn's time for influencing Labor Party policy is well and truly over. Jeremy Corbyn's decision is his decision.
“What I intend to do is put first class Labor candidates in Islington North, which is what we have now done.”
Sir Keir has defended his decision to ban Corbyn from standing as a Labor candidate as part of his efforts to 'rip anti-Semitism from the roots of our party'.
Corbyn has been sitting as an independent MP since 2020 after refusing to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission's findings that the party had broken equality law while he was in charge.
He said allegations of anti-Semitism had been “dramatically exaggerated for political reasons.”
Nargund could face an uphill battle in Islington North as Corbyn won a majority of 26,188 in the seat at the 2019 election when he stood as a Labor candidate.