SIR KEIR Starmer today BANNED Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a Labour MP at the next General Election.
The Opposition leader finally confirmed his predecessor will not be allowed to contest his seat under the party’s banner.
Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer in 2017
Mr Corbyn had the whip withdrawn after refusing to accept a damning probe into antisemitism that occurred on his watch.
Sir Keir today apologised on behalf of Labour as the Equalities Commission gave the party a clean bill of health on racism.
He said: “It’s taken many, many months of hard work and humility to get here.
“It’s meant rebuilding trust, not just with the Jewish community but with all those who were rightly appalled by the culture of the party and the previous leadership.”
Asked if Mr Corbyn – currently an Independent MP – would be allowed to contest his Islington North constituency as a Labour candidate, he said no.
Sir Keir said: “Let me be very clear about that. Jeremy Corbyn will not stand for Labour the next general election as the Labour Party candidate.
“We are not going back and that is why Jeremy Corbyn will not stop as a Labour candidate at the next general election.”
The party leader announced today that Labour has cleared the backlog of anti-semitism complaints and overhauled their internal structures for handling them properly.
They have kicked hundreds of people out of the party who campaigned against equalities rules and recommendations to rid the party of hatred.
More than 120 cases have been scrutinized by an internal panel in the last year alone.
It came after the Commission accused the party of being unlawful in 2020 after a damning probe said they were responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.
Labour was forced to put forward a plan of action to stop political interference in anti-semitism claims, provide training to those handling complaints, and end harassment and anti-semitic tropes.
The party could have faced legal action if they’d failed to comply.
Sir Keir today claimed “the Labour Party has changed” after equalities chiefs gave them the all clear after years of allegations of Jew-hate.
But he warned that the news from the Equality and Human Rights Commission should be a moment of “reflection”, not celebration – and he would continue to push for change.
Sir Keir said: “To all those who were hurt, who were let down, who were driven out of our party, who no longer felt it was their home, who suffered the most appalling abuse.
“Today, on behalf of the entire Labour Party, I say sorry.
“What you have been through can never be undone. Apologies alone cannot make it right”.
He added that the “job of restoring Labour is not complete” but is a sign they are “heading in the right direction”.
Labour will enshrine changes to their governing laws in the party’s rule book.
