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82-513: The inquiry was established by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on 29 April 2016, following the suspension of Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West , and Ken Livingstone, the former mayor of London, after media reports had emerged that Shah had reposted a graphic on Twitter during 2014 suggesting that Israel should be relocated to the United States, after which Livingstone defended her during

164-533: A May Day march in Santiago , where the atmosphere around Salvador Allende 's Popular Unity alliance which swept to power in the Chilean elections of 1970 made an impression on him: "[I] noticed something very different from anything I had experienced... what Popular Unity and Allende had done was weld together the folk tradition, the song tradition, the artistic tradition and the intellectual tradition". Returning to

246-581: A Royal Ulster Constabulary police station in Loughgall , County Armagh . At the commemoration, he told his fellow attendees that "I'm happy to commemorate all those who died fighting for an independent Ireland" and attacked the British government's policies in Northern Ireland, calling for all British troops to be withdrawn from the region. Corbyn subsequently said that he had attended the event, which included

328-646: A climate change denier and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist . For the first seven years of his life, the family lived in Kington St Michael, Wiltshire . His parents were Labour Party members and peace campaigners who met in the 1930s at a committee meeting in support of the Spanish Republic at Conway Hall during the Spanish Civil War . When Corbyn was seven, the family moved to Pave Lane, Shropshire , where his father bought Yew Tree Manor,

410-527: A less interventionist military policy, and reversals of austerity cuts to welfare and public services. Although he had sometimes been critical of the European Union (EU), he supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 EU membership referendum . After Labour MPs sought to remove him in 2016 through a leadership challenge, he won a second leadership contest against Owen Smith . Despite hostile treatment from

492-429: A minute of silence for the eight IRA members, to "call for a peace and dialogue process". He voted against the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement , saying "We believe that the agreement strengthens rather than weakens the border between the six and the 26 counties, and those of us who wish to see a United Ireland oppose the agreement for that reason." In the early 1990s, MI5 opened a file on Corbyn to monitor his links to

574-483: A referendum on the withdrawal agreement , with a personal stance of neutrality. In the 2019 general election , Labour's vote share fell to 32 per cent, leading to a loss of 60 seats, leaving it with 202, its fewest since the 1935 general election . Corbyn remained Labour leader for four months while the leadership election to replace him took place. His resignation as Labour leader formally took effect in April 2020 following

656-444: A "disease". Corbyn said in response that he used the programme to address "human rights issues" and that his appearance fee was "not an enormous amount" and was used to help meet constituency office costs. Corbyn's final appearance was six months after the network was fined by Ofcom for its part in filming an interview with Maziar Bahari , an Iranian journalist, saying the interview had been held under duress and after torture. In

738-515: A "full and unhesitating implementation of [its] findings". Writing for The Guardian , the academic Keith Kahn-Harris suggested Chakrabarti had "delivered a report that, while not the last word on the subject, does at least deserve to be discussed seriously and calmly". Professor David Feldman , the director of the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism , stated "This is an important document at

820-681: A 17th-century farmhouse which was once part of the Duke of Sutherland 's Lilleshall estate. Corbyn attended Castle House School , an independent preparatory school near Newport, Shropshire , before becoming a day student at Newport's Adams Grammar School at the age of 11. While still at school, Corbyn became active in the League Against Cruel Sports and the Labour Party Young Socialists within The Wrekin . He joined

902-427: A Labour Party event on 30 June. Chakrabarti's report made twenty recommendations on tackling instances of racism, including the following: The report concluded that the party "is not overrun by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or other forms of racism," but has suffered from an "occasionally toxic atmosphere" and "too much clear evidence [of] ignorant attitudes". Responding to the report, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis urged

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984-568: A candidate, having been disillusioned by the lack of a left-wing voice, and said to his local newspaper, The Islington Tribune , that he would have a "clear anti-austerity platform". He also said he would vote to scrap the Trident nuclear weapons system and would "seek to withdraw from Nato". He suggested that Britain should establish a national investment bank to boost house-building and improve economic growth and lift wages in areas that had less investment in infrastructure. He would also aim to eliminate

1066-643: A delegate from Hornsey to the Labour Party Conference in 1978, Corbyn successfully moved a motion calling for dentists to be employed by the National Health Service (NHS) rather than as private contractors. He also spoke in another debate, describing a motion calling for greater support for law and order as "more appropriate to the National Front than to the Labour Party". Corbyn became

1148-468: A false pretext" something that has "long been regarded as illegal by the overwhelming weight of international opinion". Corbyn specifically apologised to "the people of Iraq"; to the families of British soldiers who died in Iraq or returned injured; and to "the millions of British citizens who feel our democracy was traduced and undermined by the way in which the decision to go to war was taken on." Corbyn sat on

1230-467: A fashion parade, it's not a gentleman's club, it's not a bankers' institute, it's a place where the people are represented." In 1990, Corbyn opposed the poll tax (formally known as the Community Charge) and nearly went to jail for not paying the tax. He appeared in court the following year as a result. Corbyn supported the campaign to overturn the convictions of Jawad Botmeh and Samar Alami for

1312-649: A group of IRA members including Patrick Magee , who was convicted of the Brighton hotel bombing and other attacks. After refusing police requests to move from outside the court, Corbyn and the other protesters were arrested for obstruction and held for five hours before being released on bail, but were not charged. In 1987, Corbyn attended a commemoration by the Wolfe Tone Society in London for eight IRA members who were killed by Special Air Service soldiers while attacking

1394-739: A member of the party and he'll be issued with a card." In May 1982, when Corbyn was chairman of the Constituency Labour Party, Ali was given a party card signed by Corbyn; in November, the local party voted by 17 to 14 to insist on Ali's membership "up to and including the point of disbandment of the party". In the July 1982 edition of Briefing , Corbyn opposed expulsions of the Trotskyist and entryist group Militant , saying that "If expulsions are in order for Militant, they should apply to us too." In

1476-551: A new leader if they lose confidence in their existing leader. The Chair of the PLP chairs meetings of the Parliamentary party. They are elected by Labour MPs at the start of each annual session of Parliament. By tradition, only elections at the start of each Parliament, following a general election , are competitive. From 1921 to 1970, the Chair of the PLP was also the leader of the party as

1558-549: A peerage and position in the Shadow Cabinet. The Committee said that Chakrabati had been "insufficiently open" in her answers to them over when she was offered her peerage. Corbyn said that the criticism of Chakrabati's independence was unfair, saying he had appointed her after the completion of the report, based on her legal and campaigning experience and accused the Select Committee of "political framing" and undue emphasis on

1640-513: A profile on Corbyn compiled by parliamentary biographer Andrew Roth in 2004, which states that he joined the editorial board as General Secretary in 1979. Michael Crick , in the 2016 edition of his book Militant , says that Corbyn was "a member of the editorial board", as does Lansley, Goss and Wolmar 's 1989 work The Rise and Fall of the Municipal Left . Corbyn said in 2017 that these reports were inaccurate, telling Sophy Ridge : "I read

1722-416: A radio interview, adding that "When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews." Both were subsequently suspended from the party pending an investigation into their conduct. Announcing the inquiry, Corbyn told The Guardian newspaper that he was determined to expunge racism from

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1804-636: A reporter for the local Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser newspaper. Around the age of 19, he spent two years doing Voluntary Service Overseas in Jamaica as a youth worker and geography teacher. He subsequently visited Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay throughout 1969 and 1970. While in Brazil, he participated in a student demonstration in São Paulo against the Brazilian military government . He also attended

1886-471: A sound basis on which the Party can move forward." However, the report's launch was quickly overshadowed when Labour MP Ruth Smeeth , who is Jewish, was accused by audience member Marc Wadsworth (who was handing out a press release from a group called Momentum Black Connexions, which called for the deselection of Labour “traitors”) of working "hand-in-hand" with The Daily Telegraph (whose reporter, Kate McCann

1968-408: A time, when more than ever, we need to stand firm against all forms of racism and intolerance. The report marks a positive step towards ensuring that the Labour Party is a welcoming place for all minority groups. It recommends steps to ensure that members act in a spirit of tolerance and respect, while maintaining principles of free speech and open debate. The recommendations are constructive and provide

2050-478: A viral image of Corbyn being arrested circulated by supporters on social media. This was as a member of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group (CLAAG) who carried out a "non-stop picket" for 1,408 days to campaign for Nelson Mandela 's release from prison. The Anti-Apartheid Movement did not support this protest, as they had agreed not to demonstrate within 30 feet of the embassy, and the picket failed to gain support from

2132-701: A whole; before 1921, leadership of the party was arguably split between the Chairman of the PLP, the General Secretary and the Party Chairman . When the leaders of the Labour Party joined coalition governments during the First and Second World Wars , an acting chair was appointed to lead the rump of the party in Opposition. When the Party was in government, a liaison committee was elected to facilitate communications between

2214-761: Is sponsored by several trade unions, including UNISON , Unite and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers . He is a supporter of the Unite Against Fascism pressure group. Corbyn was chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Chagos Islands , chair of the APPG on Mexico, Vice-Chair of the APPG on Latin America and vice-chair of the APPG on Human Rights. He has advocated for

2296-730: Is the parliamentary group of the Labour Party in the British House of Commons . The group comprises the Labour members of parliament as a collective body. Commentators on the British Constitution sometimes draw a distinction between the Labour Party (which was created outside Parliament and later achieved office) and the Conservative and Liberal parties (which began as parliamentary factions). The term Parliamentary Labour Party refers to

2378-668: The 1994 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in London which argued that there was insufficient evidence to tie them to the act, along with Amnesty International , Unison and a number of journalists and other MPs. Botmeh and Alami had admitted possessing explosives and guns but denied they were for use in Britain. The convictions were upheld by the High Court of Justice in 2001 and by the European Court of Human Rights in 2007. Corbyn sat on

2460-500: The 2010 Labour Party leadership election , Corbyn supported Diane Abbott in the first round in which she was eliminated; thereafter, he supported Ed Miliband . Corbyn was one of 16 signatories to an open letter to Ed Miliband in January 2015 calling for Labour to make a commitment to opposing further austerity , to take rail franchises back into public ownership , and to strengthen collective bargaining arrangements. Corbyn sat on

2542-517: The Gandhi International Peace Award and Seán MacBride Peace Prize . Following Ed Miliband 's resignation after the party had lost the 2015 general election , Corbyn won the 2015 party leadership election to succeed him. The Labour Party's membership increased sharply, both during the leadership campaign and following his election. Taking the party to the left, Corbyn advocated renationalising public utilities and railways ,

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2624-496: The Justice Select Committee from 2010 to 2015. Before becoming party leader Corbyn had been returned as member of Parliament for Islington North seven times, gaining 60.24% of the vote and a majority of 21,194 in the 2015 general election . Following the Labour Party's defeat at the general election on 7 May 2015, Ed Miliband resigned as its party leader, triggering a leadership election . Corbyn decided to stand as

2706-699: The London Regional Select Committee from 2009 to 2010. In October 2001, Corbyn was elected to the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition , which was formed to oppose the War in Afghanistan which started later that year. In 2002, Corbyn reported unrest : "there is disquiet...about issues of foreign policy" among some members of the Labour party. He cited "the deployment of troops to Afghanistan and

2788-520: The Social Security Select Committee from 1992 to 1997. A longstanding supporter of a united Ireland , in the 1980s Corbyn met Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams a number of times. Corbyn consistently stated that he maintained links with Sinn Fein in order to work for a resolution to the armed conflict. According to The Sunday Times , Corbyn was involved in over 72 events connected with Sinn Féin or other pro-republican groups during

2870-697: The Welfare Reform and Work Bill in July 2015, Corbyn joined 47 Labour MPs to oppose the Bill, describing it as "rotten and indefensible", whilst the other three leadership candidates abstained under direction from interim leader Harriet Harman. In August 2015, he called on Iain Duncan Smith to resign as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after it was reported that thousands of disabled people had died after being found fit to work by Work Capability Assessments (instituted in 2008) between 2011 and 2014, although this

2952-584: The IRA", although Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott later clarified that although he had met members of the IRA, "he met with them in their capacity as activists in Sinn Fein". Between 1997 and 2010, during the New Labour governments, Corbyn was the Labour MP who voted most often against the party whip, including three-line whip votes. In 2005 he was identified as the second most rebellious Labour MP of all time during

3034-575: The IRA's bombing of the Conservative Party leadership that killed five people. During the 1980s he campaigned on behalf of the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six , who were wrongly convicted of responsibility for IRA bombings in England in the mid-1970s. In 1986, Corbyn was arrested with 15 demonstrators protesting against what they saw as weak evidence and poor treatment during the trial of

3116-494: The IRA. In 1994, Corbyn signed a Commons motion condemning the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings , which killed 21 people. A short time after IRA plans to bomb London were foiled in 1996, Corbyn invited Adams to the House of Commons for a press conference to promote Adams' autobiography, Before the Dawn . Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam and Labour leader Tony Blair condemned

3198-709: The Iraq War . In July 2016, the Chilcot Report of the Iraq Inquiry was issued, criticising Blair for joining the United States in the war against Iraq. Subsequently, Corbyn – who had voted against military action against Iraq – gave a speech in Westminster commenting: "I now apologise sincerely on behalf of my party for the disastrous decision to go to war in Iraq in March 2003" which he called an "act of military aggression launched on

3280-448: The Jewish community. She would then report back to party officials within two months, and set out guidelines on acceptable behaviour and language. On 16 May 2016, Chakrabarti announced that she had joined the Labour Party in order to gain members' trust and confidence, but expressed confidence that this would not compromise her independence. The inquiry had two deputy chairs: Jan Royall , who

3362-507: The Labour Party at the age of 16. He achieved two A-Levels at grade E, the lowest possible passing grade, before leaving school at 18. Corbyn joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1966 while at school and later became one of its three vice-chairs and subsequently vice-president. Around this time, he also campaigned against the Vietnam War . After school, Corbyn worked briefly as

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3444-506: The Labour party. Jeremy Corbyn [REDACTED] Jeremy Bernard Corbyn ( / ˈ k ɔːr b ɪ n / ; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North since 1983. An independent , Corbyn was a member of the Labour Party from 1965 until his expulsion in 2024, and is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus . He served as Leader of

3526-521: The Leader of the Labour Party was elected by the PLP. Now, however, the party operates on a one member, one vote system, where all members are awarded a single vote, as well as affiliated organizations ( trade unions and socialist societies ) and temporary registered supporters. Instant-runoff voting (the "Alternative Vote") is used to conduct the election. Labour MPs retain the power to trigger an extraordinary or "special" Labour Party Conference to choose

3608-475: The London ANC ; Mandela's failure to respond to CLAAG following his release from prison in 1990 is frequently described as a 'snub'. He supported the 1984–85 miners' strike . In 1985, he invited striking miners into the gallery of the House of Commons; they were expelled for shouting: "Coal not dole". At the end of the strike Corbyn was given a medallion by the miners in recognition of his help. In 1985, he

3690-596: The MP for Islington North in 1983. His activism has included Anti-Fascist Action , the Anti-Apartheid Movement , the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament , and advocating for a united Ireland and Palestinian statehood . As a backbencher , Corbyn routinely voted against the Labour whip , including New Labour governments. A vocal opponent of the Iraq War , he chaired the Stop the War Coalition from 2011 to 2015, and received

3772-523: The New Labour governments. He was the most rebellious Labour MP in the 1997–2001 Parliament, the 2001–2005 Parliament and the 2005–2010 Parliament, defying the whip 428 times while Labour was in power. Jacobin described him as "a figure who for decades challenged them [Labour Party elites] from the backbench as one of the most rebellious left-wing members of parliament". Corbyn has called for Tony Blair to be investigated for alleged war crimes during

3854-413: The Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. Corbyn identifies ideologically as a socialist on the political left . Born in Chippenham , Wiltshire , Corbyn joined the Labour Party as a teenager. Moving to London, he became a trade union representative . In 1974, he was elected to Haringey Council and became Secretary of Hornsey Constituency Labour Party until elected as

3936-439: The UK in 1971, Corbyn worked as an official for the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers . He began a course in Trade Union Studies at North London Polytechnic but left after a year without a degree after a series of arguments with his tutors over the curriculum. He worked as a trade union organiser for the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) and Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union , where his union

4018-404: The cabinet and Labour backbenchers – the chair of this committee also chaired meetings of the PLP as a whole during these periods. In 1970, the positions of Leader of the Labour Party and Chair of the PLP were permanently split. There is also a deputy chair. Other groups have been established within the PLP, such as the Women's PLP and the LGBT+ PLP. Labour and Co-operative MPs form part of

4100-485: The credibility of the inquiry's findings. A spokesman for Corbyn said that Chakrabarti was "an ideal appointment to the Lords". A cross-party Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into antisemitism in the UK later that year invited Corbyn, Chakrabati and Livingstone, amongst others, to give evidence in a separate, wider investigation of antisemitism. The Select Committee's report described the Chakrabati Inquiry as "ultimately compromised" by Chakrabarti's later acceptance of

4182-502: The current budget deficit over time and restore the 50p top rate of income tax. He added: "This decision is in response to an overwhelming call by Labour Party members who want to see a broader range of candidates and a thorough debate about the future of the party. I am standing to give Labour Party members a voice in this debate". He indicated that, if he were elected, policies that he put forward would need to be approved by party members before being adopted and that he wanted to "implement

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4264-408: The democratic will of our party". The other candidates were Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper , Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham and Shadow Care Minister Liz Kendall . Several who nominated Corbyn later said they had ensured he had enough votes to stand, more to widen the political debate within the party than because of a desire or expectation that he would win. At the Second Reading of

4346-473: The election of Keir Starmer , who led the party to victory at the next general election in 2024. After asserting that the scale of antisemitism had been overstated for political reasons, Corbyn was suspended from the party in 2020. In May 2024, after the 2024 general election had been called, Corbyn was not allowed to stand as a Labour candidate for his constituency, and subsequently announced he would stand as an independent candidate for Islington North ; he

4428-411: The globe." In 2006, Corbyn was one of 12 Labour MPs to support Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party 's call for a parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq War . He was elected chair of the coalition in succession to Andrew Murray in September 2011, but resigned once he became Leader of the Labour Party in September 2015. Corbyn is a member of a number of Parliamentary Trade Union Groups: he

4510-413: The invitation, with Mowlam arguing that it was detrimental to the peace process, and Blair threatening disciplinary action. Adams cancelled the event, to save further embarrassment to Corbyn and to avoid negative publicity. In 1998, he voted for the Good Friday Agreement , saying he looked forward to "peace, hope and reconciliation in Ireland in the future." In 2017, Corbyn said that he had "never met

4592-503: The leader of my own party stood by and did absolutely nothing...a Labour Party under his stewardship cannot be a safe space for British Jews." Smeeth also said that she had written to the general secretary of the Labour Party and chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party to make a formal complaint about the incident. Chakrabarti subsequently said that she had admonished Wadsworth for his remarks, an action with which she said Corbyn had "concurred"; she also apologised to Smeeth. Wadsworth said he

4674-403: The local Labour Party's agent and organiser, and had responsibility for the 1979 general election campaign in Hornsey. Around this time, he became involved with the London Labour Briefing , where he was a contributor. Described by The Times in 1981 as " Briefing ' s founder", The Economist in a 1982 article named Corbyn as " Briefing ' s general secretary figure", as did

4756-412: The magazine. I wrote for the magazine. I was not a member of the editorial board. I didn't agree with it." He worked on Tony Benn's unsuccessful deputy leadership campaign in 1981 . Corbyn was keen to allow former International Marxist Group member Tariq Ali to join the party, despite Labour's National Executive having declared him unacceptable, and declared that "so far as we are concerned ... he's

4838-518: The media , in the 2017 general election Corbyn led Labour to increase its vote share by 10 percentage points to 40 per cent, their largest rise since the 1945 general election . During his tenure as leader, Corbyn was criticised for the antisemitism within the party . He condemned antisemitism and apologised for its presence, while his leadership saw a strengthening of disciplinary procedures regarding hate speech and racism. In 2019, after deadlock in Parliament over Brexit , Corbyn endorsed holding

4920-520: The party in Parliament, whereas the term Labour Party refers to the entire Labour Party, the parliamentary element of which is the PLP. A similar body for the Conservative Party is the 1922 Committee . An organisation for former members, the PLP in exile , was established after the 2010 general election . The PLP holds regular meetings behind closed doors to question the Leader and to discuss its concerns. Labour MPs elect three of their number to Labour's National Executive Committee . Originally,

5002-483: The party: "Labour is an anti-racist party to its core and has a long and proud history of standing against racism, including antisemitism." He appointed Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of the human rights advocacy group Liberty , to chair the investigation. The inquiry's remit would be to recommend how Labour could best tackle instances of racism, including cases of antisemitism and Islamophobia , with Chakrabarti speaking to various groups affected by such issues, such as

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5084-444: The period of the IRA's paramilitary campaign. Corbyn met Adams at the 1983 and 1989 Labour conferences (facilitated by pro- IRA Red Action ) and in 1983 at Westminster, along with a number of other Labour MPs. In 1984, Corbyn and Ken Livingstone invited Adams, two convicted IRA volunteers and other members of Sinn Féin to Westminster. He was criticised by the Labour Party leadership for the meeting, which took place two weeks after

5166-580: The remarks, saying that Corbyn "was explicitly stating that people should not be held responsible for the actions of states or organisations around the world on the basis of religion or ethnicity." Chakrabarti also defended Corbyn, telling LBC radio that she had read Corbyn's speech just before the event: "I read the leader's speech five minutes before we went into the main room. ... I listened very carefully to what he said. He reflected my report. ... His point was: when you have Jewish neighbours or friends, or Muslim neighbours or friends and something bad happens in

5248-439: The rights of the forcibly removed Chagossians to return to the British Indian Ocean Territory . Corbyn appeared on a call-in show on Press TV , an Iranian government television channel, several times between 2009 and 2012. He was criticised for appearing on the channel in light of Iran executing and imprisoning homosexuals, as well as Corbyn not questioning contributors who called the BBC "Zionist liars" and described Israel as

5330-476: The same grace and care he always shows to others – however objectionable their behaviour and treatment of him might be." In 1983, Corbyn spoke on a "no socialism without gay liberation " platform and continued to campaign for LGBT rights . He was a campaigner against apartheid in South Africa, serving on the National Executive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement , and was arrested in 1984 while demonstrating outside South Africa House , leading, decades later, to

5412-450: The same year, he was the "provisional convener" of "Defeat the Witch-Hunt Campaign", based at Corbyn's then address. The Metropolitan Police 's Special Branch monitored Corbyn for two decades, until the early 2000s, as he was "deemed to be a subversive". According to the Labour Party, "The Security Services kept files on many peace and Labour movement campaigners at the time, including anti-Apartheid activists and trade unionists". Corbyn

5494-402: The second Cairo Declaration in December 2003, which said "The Iraqis themselves are now engaged in a titanic struggle to rid their country of occupying forces. The Palestinian intifada continues under the most difficult circumstances. The US administration threatens Iran and other countries on a daily basis. Now is the time to draw together the forces of resistance in the Arab world and from around

5576-427: The socialist Campaign Group , later becoming secretary of the group. Shortly after being elected to Parliament, he began writing a weekly column for the left-wing Morning Star newspaper. In May 2015, he said that "the Star is the most precious and only voice we have in the daily media". In February 2017, the Morning Star said of Corbyn: "He has been bullied, betrayed and ridiculed, and yet he carries on with

5658-418: The threat of bombing Iraq" as examples. He was vehemently opposed to Britain's involvement in the Iraq War in 2003, and spoke at dozens of anti-war rallies in Britain and overseas. He spoke at the February anti-Iraq War protest which was said to be the largest such protest in British political history. At the same time, he expressed support for the Iraqi insurgency and the Palestinian intifada when he signed

5740-415: The world, don't ask them to be the first to explain or defend or condemn." Jeremy Corbyn announced Chakrabarti as the only Labour appointment to the House of Lords in July 2016. In October 2016, she was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales . Following her appointment, Labour MPs Tom Watson and Wes Streeting and some Jewish groups questioned

5822-423: Was appointed national secretary of the newly launched Anti-Fascist Action . During the BBC's Newsnight in 1984, Conservative MP Terry Dicks said that so-called Labour "scruffs" (such as Corbyn, who at this time was known for wearing an old polo-necked sweater to the Commons ) should be banned from addressing the House of Commons unless they maintained higher standards. Corbyn responded, saying that: "It's not

5904-527: Was approached by Tony Benn and "encouraged ... to produce a blueprint for workers' control of British Leyland "; the plans did not proceed after Benn was moved to a different Department. Corbyn was appointed a member of a district health authority and in early 1974, at the age of 24, he was elected to Haringey Council from South Hornsey ward. After boundary changes in 1978 he was re-elected in Harringay ward as councillor , remaining so until 1983. As

5986-469: Was at the time holding an investigation into antisemitism at Oxford University Labour Club , and director of the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism David Feldman . The controversy occurred at a critical time for Labour, as the party prepared to contest the May 2016 local elections , and amid mounting concerns from some Labour figures about Corbyn's leadership. The inquiry's findings were published at

6068-445: Was challenged by the government and by FullFact who said that the figure included those who had died and therefore their claim had ended, rather than being found fit for work. Corbyn rapidly became the frontrunner among the candidates and was perceived to benefit from a large influx of new members. Hundreds of supporters turned out to hear him speak at the hustings across the nation and their enthusiastic reception and support for him

6150-509: Was discussing the report's contents, telling activists that "our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those various self-styled Islamic states or organisations." Mirvis described the remarks as "offensive", and said that "rather than rebuilding trust among the Jewish community, are likely to cause even greater concern". A spokesman for Corbyn sought later to clarify

6232-480: Was dubbed "Corbynmania" by the press. Membership numbers continued to climb after the start of his leadership. In addition, following a rule change under Miliband, members of the public who supported Labour's aims and values could join the party as "registered supporters" for £3 and be entitled to vote in the election. There was speculation that the rule change would lead to Corbyn being elected by registered supporters without majority support from ordinary members. He

6314-444: Was elected party leader in a landslide victory on 12 September 2015 with 59.5% of first-preference votes in the first round of voting. He would have won in the first round with 51% of votes, even without "£3 registered supporters", having gained the support of 49.6% of full members and 57.6% of affiliated supporters. His 40.5% majority was a larger proportional majority than that attained by Tony Blair in 1994 . His margin of victory

6396-557: Was present at the time), when he saw them talking together and exchanging his press release, and with right-wing media in general. Smeeth criticised Corbyn for not speaking out in her defence following the allegation levelled against her by Wadsworth: "It is beyond belief that someone could come to the launch of a report on antisemitism in the Labour Party and espouse such vile conspiracy theories about Jewish people, which were ironically highlighted as such in Ms Chakrabarti's report, while

6478-634: Was said to be "the largest mandate ever won by a party leader". An internal Labour Party report, entitled The work of the Labour Party's Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism, 2014–2019 , was leaked to the media in April 2020. The report stated that during the 2015 and 2016 leadership contests, staff members at Labour party headquarters looked for ways to exclude from voting members who they believed would vote for Corbyn. The staff members referred to this activity as " trot busting", "bashing trots" and "trot spotting". Parliamentary Labour Party The Parliamentary Labour Party ( PLP )

6560-568: Was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the constituency of Islington North , in February 1982, winning the final ballot for selection by 39 votes against 35 for GLC councillor Paul Boateng , who in 1987 became one of the first three Black British Members of Parliament (MP). At the 1983 general election he was elected MP for the constituency, defeating the Independent Labour incumbent Michael O'Halloran , and immediately joined

6642-536: Was then expelled from Labour. He won re-election with a majority of 7,247. Jeremy Bernard Corbyn was born on 26 May 1949 in Chippenham , Wiltshire, the son of mathematics teacher Naomi Loveday (née Josling; 1915–1987) and electrical engineer and power rectifier expert David Benjamin Corbyn (1915–1986). He has three elder brothers; one of them, Piers Corbyn (born 1947), is a weather forecaster who later became known as

6724-470: Was unaware that Smeeth is Jewish, and denied any connection to the pro-Corbyn group Momentum . Wadsworth was subsequently expelled from the Labour Party for bringing the party into disrepute. Speaking at the launch of the inquiry findings, Corbyn said that he would put his weight behind an "immediate implementation" of the report's recommendations. He faced criticism when he was accused of comparing Israel's actions to those of ISIS . He made his comments as he

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