128-417: [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 the Opposition and Leader of
256-541: 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
384-597: 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Ireland" and attacked the British government's policies in Northern Ireland, calling for all British troops to be withdrawn from the region.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
512-662: 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,
640-427: 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
768-553: A no-deal Brexit off the table first" and secure a negotiated Withdrawal Agreement, expressed in particular by its enactment against his will of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019 , often called the Benn Act, after Labour MP Hilary Benn , who introduced the bill. After failing to pass a revised deal before the first extension's deadline of 31 October 2019, Johnson agreed to a second extension on negotiations with
896-440: 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
1024-707: 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
1152-449: A Conservative government either. Their focus would be on remaining in the EU. Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, there is often concern, especially in marginal seats , that if voters of similar ideological leanings are split between multiple different parties they may allow a victory for a candidate with significantly different views. In the early stages of the campaign, there
1280-573: 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
1408-436: A case-by-case basis. The Conservatives and Labour insisted they were on course for outright majorities, while smaller parties were quizzed about what they would do in the event of a hung parliament. The Liberal Democrats said that they would not actively support Johnson or Corbyn becoming Prime Minister but that they could, if an alternative could not be achieved, abstain on votes allowing a minority government to form if there
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#17327797865531536-648: A central part of the Conservative campaign via the slogan " Get Brexit Done ". The Brexit Party was in favour of a no-deal Brexit, with its leader Nigel Farage calling for Johnson to drop the deal. The Conservative manifesto read "If we elect a majority of Conservative MPs to Parliament, we will start putting our deal through Parliament before Christmas and we will leave the European Union in January" which ultimately happened. The Labour Party proposed
1664-471: A combination of employees and government". The IFS said that Labour's vision "is of a state not so dissimilar to those seen in many other successful Western European economies", and presumed that the manifesto should be seen as "a long-term prospectus for change rather than a realistic deliverable plan for a five-year parliament". They said that the Liberal Democrats manifesto was not as radical as
1792-674: 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
1920-470: 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
2048-471: 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
2176-613: A five-year cycle, or when a snap election is called. Since the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 , Parliament is automatically dissolved once five years have elapsed from its first meeting after an election. If a vacancy arises at another time, due to death or resignation , then a constituency vacancy may be filled by a by-election. Under the Representation of the People Act 1981 any MP sentenced to over
2304-554: A green industrial revolution. This included support for renewable energies and a promise to plant 2 billion trees by 2040. The party also promised to transition to electrify the United Kingdom's bus fleet by 2030. The Liberal Democrats promised to put the environment at the heart of their agenda with a promise to plant 60 million trees a year. They promised to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and hit zero carbon emissions by 2045. By 2030, they planned to generate 80% of
2432-665: 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
2560-569: A high speed new rail line between Leeds and Manchester. Labour proposed significantly increasing government spending to 45% of national output, which would be high compared to most of British history. This was to pay for an increased NHS budget; stopping state pension age rises; introducing a National Care Service providing free personal care; move to a net-zero carbon economy by the 2030s; nationalising key industries; scrapping Universal Credit ; free bus travel for under-25s; building 100,000 council houses per year; and other proposals. Within this,
2688-497: A hung parliament was that it would do no deals with any other party, citing Corbyn to say: "We are out here to win it." At the same time, it was prepared to adopt key policies proposed by the SNP and Liberal Democrats to woo them into supporting a minority government. The UUP said they would never support Corbyn as prime minister, with their leader Steve Aiken also saying that he "can't really see" any situation in which they would support
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#17327797865532816-469: A member of Parliament is to do what they think in their faithful and disinterested judgement is right and necessary for the honour and safety of Great Britain. The second duty is to their constituents, of whom they are the representative but not the delegate. Burke's famous declaration on this subject is well known. It is only in the third place that their duty to party organisation or programme takes rank. All these three loyalties should be observed, but there
2944-762: 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
3072-499: A person must be at least 18 years old and be a citizen of the UK , a Commonwealth nation, or Ireland . A person is not required to be registered to vote, nor are there any restrictions regarding where a candidate is a resident. The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 outlaws the holders of various positions from being MPs. These include civil servants , regular police officers (but not special constables ), regular members of
3200-478: 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 the election of Keir Starmer , who led
3328-413: A political party, they may act in the interests of that party, subordinate to the other two responsibilities. 2019 United Kingdom general election Boris Johnson Conservative Boris Johnson Conservative The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019, with 47,074,800 registered voters entitled to vote to elect 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) to
3456-581: A prison sentence of a year or more. People in respect of whom a bankruptcy restrictions order has effect are disqualified from (existing) membership of the House of Commons (details differ slightly in different countries). Members are not permitted to resign their seats. In practice, however, they always can. Should a member wish to resign from the Commons , they may request appointment to one of two ceremonial Crown offices: that of Crown Steward and Bailiff of
3584-515: 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
3712-434: A renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement, towards a closer post-withdrawal relationship with the EU, and would then put this forward as an option in a referendum alongside the option of remaining in the EU. The Labour Party's campaigning stance in that referendum would be decided at a special conference. In a Question Time special featuring four party leaders, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that he would stay neutral in
3840-536: A split and two name changes, at dissolution, this group numbered five MPs who sat as the registered party The Independent Group for Change under the leadership of Anna Soubry . Two MPs sat in a group called The Independents , which at its peak had five members. One MP created the Birkenhead Social Justice Party , while a further 20 MPs who began as Labour or Conservative ended Parliament as unaffiliated independents. Seven MPs, from both
3968-480: 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
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4096-502: A year in jail automatically vacates their seat. For certain types of lesser acts of wrongdoing, the Recall of MPs Act 2015 mandates that a recall petition be opened; if signed by more than 10% of registered voters within the constituency, the seat is vacated. In the past, only male adult property owners could stand for Parliament. In 1918, women acquired the right to stand for Parliament , and to vote. To be eligible to stand as an MP,
4224-414: Is no doubt of the order in which they stand under any healthy manifestation of democracy. Theoretically, contemporary MPs are considered to have two duties, or three if they belong to a political party. Their primary responsibility is to act in the national interest. They must also act in the interests of their constituents, where this does not override their primary responsibility. Finally, if they belong to
4352-805: 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
4480-483: The 1935 general election . The Scottish National Party (SNP) made a net gain of 13 seats with 45 per cent of the vote in Scotland, winning 48 of the 59 seats there. The Liberal Democrats increased their vote share to 11.6 per cent, but won only 11 seats, a net loss of one since the last election. The party's leader, Jo Swinson , lost her seat to the SNP, thus triggering the 2020 party leadership election , which
4608-470: 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 a referendum on the withdrawal agreement , with
4736-692: 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
4864-655: The 1997 general election . This was the second national election to be held in 2019 in the United Kingdom, the first being the 2019 European Parliament election . After it lost its parliamentary majority at the 2017 general election , the Conservative Party governed in minority with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The prime minister, Theresa May , resigned in July 2019 after repeatedly failing to pass her Brexit withdrawal agreement in parliament. Johnson succeeded her as
4992-447: 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
5120-614: The 2015 general election . In the 2017 general election , May lost her majority but was able to resume office as a result of a confidence and supply agreement with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), known as the Conservative–DUP agreement . In the face of opposition from the DUP and Conservative backbenchers , the second May ministry was unable to pass its Brexit withdrawal agreement by 29 March 2019, so some political commentators considered that an early general election
5248-454: The 2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs for going against the party line by voting to prevent a no-deal Brexit . Of the 21 expelled, 10 were subsequently reinstated, while the others continued as independents. The major parties had a wide variety of stances on Brexit. The Conservative Party supported leaving under the terms of the withdrawal agreement as negotiated by Johnson (amending May's previous agreement), and this agreement formed
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5376-905: 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 the Gandhi International Peace Award and Seán MacBride Peace Prize . Following Ed Miliband 's resignation after
5504-714: 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
5632-477: 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 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
5760-522: The House of Commons . The governing Conservative Party , led by the prime minister Boris Johnson , won a landslide victory with a majority of 80 seats, a net gain of 48, on 43.6 per cent of the popular vote, the highest percentage for any party since the 1979 general election , though with a narrower popular vote margin than that achieved by the Labour Party over the Conservatives at
5888-504: 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
6016-618: 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
6144-657: The Senedd (Welsh Parliament) or the Northern Ireland Assembly are also ineligible for the Commons according to the Wales and Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Acts respectively, passed in 2014 (but members of the Scottish Parliament are eligible). People who are bankrupt cannot stand to be MPs. The Representation of the People Act 1981 excludes persons who are currently serving
6272-530: 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
6400-663: The United Kingdom , a member of Parliament ( MP ) is an individual elected to serve in the House of Commons , the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . All 650 members of the UK House of Commons are elected using the first-past-the-post voting system in single member constituencies across the whole of the United Kingdom, where each constituency has its own single representative. All MP positions become simultaneously vacant for elections held on
6528-713: 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
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#17327797865536656-587: The armed forces (but not reservists), and some judges . Members of the House of Lords were not permitted to hold Commons seats until the passing of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 , which allows retired or resigned members of the House of Lords to stand or re-stand as MPs. Members of legislatures outside of the Commonwealth are excluded, with the exemption of the Irish legislature . Additionally, members of
6784-511: The leader of the Conservative Party and as prime minister in July 2019. Johnson could not persuade Parliament to approve a revised withdrawal agreement by the end of October, and chose to call a snap election , which the House of Commons supported under the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 . Opinion polls showed a firm lead for the Conservatives against the opposition Labour Party throughout
6912-548: The subsequent election . Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union In July 2016, Theresa May was elected Prime Minister to succeed David Cameron , who had resigned following the 2016 Brexit referendum . The Conservative Party had governed since the 2010 general election , initially in coalition with the Liberal Democrats and then alone with a small majority following
7040-456: 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 the Iraq War . In July 2016,
7168-504: The 2010 election, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 to 2015. At the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party committed to offering a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union (EU) and won a majority in that election. A referendum was held in June 2016, and the Leave campaign won by 51.9% to 48.1%. United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of
7296-408: The Chiltern Hundreds , or that of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead . These offices are sinecures (that is, they involve no actual duties); they exist solely to permit the "resignation" of members of the House of Commons. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for making the appointment, and, by convention, never refuses to do so when asked by a member who desires to leave
7424-508: The Conservative government performed a spending review, where they announced plans to increase public spending by £13.8 billion a year, and reaffirmed plans to spend another £33.9 billion a year on the National Health Service (NHS) by 2023. Chancellor Sajid Javid said the government had turned the page on 10 years of austerity in the United Kingdom . During the election, the parties produced manifestos that outlined spending in addition to that already planned. The Conservative Party manifesto
7552-426: The Conservatives and Labour, joined the Liberal Democrats during Parliament, in combination with a gain after the 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election . By the time Parliament was dissolved, the Liberal Democrats had raised their number from 12 at the election to 20 at dissolution. One reason for the defections from the Labour Party was the ongoing row over alleged antisemitism in the Labour Party . Labour entered
7680-435: The Electoral Commission's Register. Those who do not belong to one must use the label Independent or none. In the 2019 election 3,415 candidates stood: 206 being independents, the rest representing one of 68 political parties. The Conservative Party and Labour Party have been the two biggest political parties, and have supplied every Prime Minister since the 1922 general election . The Conservative Party have governed since
7808-532: The European Union and finally secured a revised withdrawal agreement. Parliament agreed to an election through a motion proposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) on 28 October. The Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 (EPGEA) was passed in the House of Commons by 438 votes to 20; an attempt to pass an amendment by opposition parties for the election to be held on 9 December failed by 315 votes to 295. The House of Lords followed suit on 30 October, with royal assent made
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#17327797865537936-468: The House of Commons. Members of Parliament are entitled to use the post-nominal initials MP. MPs are referred to as "honourable" as a courtesy only during debates in the House of Commons (e.g., "the honourable member for ..."), or if they are the children of peers below the rank of marquess ("the honourable [first name] [surname]"). Those who are members of the Privy Council use the form The Right Honourable ( The Rt Hon. ) Name MP. The first duty of
8064-401: 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
8192-418: 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 the New Labour governments. He was the most rebellious Labour MP in the 1997–2001 Parliament,
8320-439: 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 the invitation, with Mowlam arguing that it
8448-465: 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 the MP for Islington North in 1983. His activism has included Anti-Fascist Action ,
8576-413: 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 a reporter for
8704-408: The Labour Party proposed to take rail-operating companies, energy supply networks, Royal Mail , sewerage infrastructure, and England's private water companies back into public ownership . Labour proposed nationalising part of the BT Group and to provide free broadband to everyone, along with free education for six years during each person's adult life. Over a decade, Labour planned to reduce
8832-410: The Labour manifesto but was a "decisive move away from the policies of the past decade". The Conservative manifesto was criticised for a commitment not to raise rates of income tax, National Insurance, or VAT, as this put a significant constraint on reactions to events that might affect government finances. One such event could be the "die in a ditch" promise to terminate the Brexit transition period by
8960-417: 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
9088-451: The NHS as "simple, progressive and would raise a secure level of revenue". The IFS also said plans to "virtually quintuple" current spending levels on universal free childcare amounted to "creating a whole new leg of the universal welfare state". The IFS said that the SNP's manifesto was not costed. Their proposals on spending increases and tax cuts would mean the government would have to borrow to cover day-to-day spending. They concluded that
9216-508: The SNP included a second referendum on Scottish independence to be held in 2020, as well as one on Brexit, removing the Trident nuclear deterrent , and devolution across issues like as employment law, drug policy, and migration. The Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP, and Labour all supported a ban on fracking in the United Kingdom , whilst the Conservatives proposed approving fracking on
9344-594: The SNP's plans for Scottish independence would likely require increased austerity. The Conservatives proposed increasing spending on public services, including the NHS and education. They also proposed increased funding for childcare and on the environment. They proposed more funding for care services and to work with other parties on reforming how care is delivered. They wished to maintain the triple lock on pensions. They proposed investing in local infrastructure, including rail, bus, cycle, and electric cars. They pledged to build
9472-529: The Treaty on European Union came in March 2017, and Theresa May triggered a snap election in 2017, in order to demonstrate support for her planned negotiation of Brexit. Instead, the Conservative Party lost seats. They won a plurality of MPs but not a majority, and the result was a hung parliament . They formed a minority government , with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as their confidence and supply partner. Neither May nor her successor Boris Johnson ,
9600-506: 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
9728-437: The United Kingdom, or be a British citizen overseas who registered to vote in the last 15 years; and not legally excluded (on grounds of detainment in prison, a mental hospital, or on the run from law enforcement), or disqualified from voting. Anyone who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on 6 December to register. Most candidates are representatives of a political party , which must be registered with
9856-506: The accuracy of claims around government income and expenditure. The IFS reported that neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party had published a "properly credible prospectus". Its analysis of the Conservative manifesto concluded there was "essentially nothing new in the manifesto", that there was "little in the way of changes to tax, spending, welfare or anything else", and that they had already promised increased spending for health and education whilst in government. The Labour manifesto
9984-414: The amount Labour suggested, and said that they would need to introduce more broad based tax increases. They assessed that the public sector does not have the capacity to increase investment spending as Labour would want. The IFS further assessed the claim that tax rises would only hit the top 5% of earners as "certainly progressive" but "clearly not true", with those under that threshold impacted by changes to
10112-601: The average full-time weekly working hours to 32, with resulting productivity increases facilitating no loss of pay. Labour's spending plans were endorsed by more than 160 economists and academics and characterised as a "serious programme" to deal with internal problems. The main priority of the Liberal Democrats was opposing Brexit. Other policies included increased spending on the NHS; free childcare for two-to-four-year-olds; recruiting 20,000 more teachers; generating 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030; freezing train fares; and legalising cannabis. The Brexit Party
10240-456: The campaign. The Conservatives won 365 seats, their highest number and proportion since the 1987 general election , and recorded their highest share of the popular vote since 1979; many of their gains were made in seats once considered previously safe for Labour, dubbed the red wall , which had voted strongly in favour of British withdrawal from the EU in the 2016 European Union (EU) membership referendum . Labour won 202 seats, its fewest since
10368-630: The country's debt as a percentage of GDP remaining stable. The IFS assessed that it would rise in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Labour Party manifesto planned to raise an extra £78 billion a year from taxes over the course of Parliament, with sources including: In addition, Labour was to obtain income from the Inclusive Ownership Fund, windfall tax on oil companies, and some smaller tax changes. There were increased spending commitments of £98 billion current spending and £55 billion investment spending. Overall, this would have led to
10496-585: The country's energy needs from renewable energies such as solar power and wind and retrofit 26 million homes with insulation by 2030. They also promised to build more environmentally friendly homes and to establish a new Department for the Climate Crisis. The Conservatives pledged net zero emissions by 2050 with investment in clean energy solutions and green infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and pollution. They also pledged to plant 30 million trees and boost wind and solar energy. In September 2019,
10624-500: 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
10752-744: The day after for the ratification of the EPGEA. The deadline for candidate nominations was 14 November 2019, with political campaigning for four weeks until polling day on 12 December. On the day of the election, polling stations across the country were open from 7 am, and closed at 10 pm. The date chosen for the 2019 general election made it the first to be held in December since the 1923 general election . Individuals eligible to vote had to be registered to vote by midnight on 26 November. To be eligible to vote, individuals had to be aged 18 or over; residing as an Irish or Commonwealth citizen at an address in
10880-664: The deals negotiated by both May and Johnson, believing that they created too great a divide between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Sinn Féin , the Social Democratic and Labour Party , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland all favoured remaining in the EU. The UUP did not see a second referendum as a necessary route to achieving this goal. The Labour Party promised what they described as
11008-412: The debt as a percentage of GDP falling, partly due to improved economic conditions which would result from staying in the EU. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an influential research body, released on 28 November its in-depth analysis of the manifestos of the three main national political parties. The analysis provided a summary of the financial promises made by each party and an inspection of
11136-467: 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
11264-504: The election campaign while under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission . The Jewish Labour Movement declared that it would not generally campaign for Labour. The Conservative Party was also criticised for not doing enough to tackle the alleged Islamophobia in the Conservative Party . The Conservatives ended the previous parliamentary period with fewer seats than they had started with because of defections and also saw
11392-585: The end of 2020, which risked harming the economy. The IFS also stated that it is "highly likely" spending under a Conservative government would be higher than in that party's manifesto, partly due to a number of uncosted commitments. Outside of commitments to the NHS, the proposals would leave public service spending 14% lower in 2023–2024 than it was in 2010–2011, which the IFS described as "no more austerity perhaps, but an awful lot of it baked in". The IFS stated it had "serious doubt" that tax rises proposed would raise
11520-450: The first time, although the unionist popular vote remained higher at 43.1 per cent, and the seven Sinn Féin MPs did not take their seats due to their tradition of abstentionism . Despite being elected with a landslide, Johnson went on to resign amid a government crisis in 2022, being followed by Liz Truss for fifty days and then by Rishi Sunak , who went on to lead the Conservatives in
11648-540: 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
11776-464: The inclusive ownership fund could reduce growth, meaning the overall impact of Labour's plan on growth was uncertain. The IFS described the plans of the Liberal Democrats as a radical tax and spend package, and said that the proposals would require lower borrowing than Conservative or Labour plans. The report said they were the only party whose proposals would put debt "on a decisively downward path", praising their plan to put 1p on income tax to go to
11904-635: 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
12032-527: 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
12160-410: 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
12288-451: The marriage allowance, taxes on dividends, or capital gains, and lower wages or higher prices that might be passed on from corporation tax changes. Some of Labour's proposals were described as "huge and complex undertakings", where significant care is required in implementation. The IFS was particularly critical of the policy to compensate the WASPI women, announced after the manifesto, which
12416-498: The national debt as a percentage of GDP rising. Labour's John McDonnell said borrowing would only be for investment and one-offs (e.g. compensating WASPI women, not shown above), and not for day-to-day spending. The Liberal Democrats manifesto planned to raise an extra £36 billion per year from taxes over the course of Parliament, with sources including: There were increased commitments of £37 billion current spending and £26 billion investment spending, which would overall lead to
12544-477: 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 , a less interventionist military policy, and reversals of austerity cuts to welfare and public services. Although he had sometimes been critical of
12672-433: 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
12800-489: 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
12928-527: The prime minister on 24 July 2019. Along with attempting to revise the withdrawal agreement arranged by his predecessor's negotiations, Johnson made three attempts to hold a snap election under the process defined in the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 , which required a two-thirds supermajority in order for an election to take place. All three attempts to call an election failed to gain support; Parliament insisted that Johnson "take
13056-469: The referendum campaign. The Liberal Democrats , Scottish National Party , Plaid Cymru , The Independent Group for Change , and the Green Party of England and Wales were all opposed to Brexit, and proposed that a further referendum be held with the option, for which they would campaign, to remain in the EU. The Liberal Democrats originally pledged that if they formed a majority government , which
13184-597: The repeal of the European Communities Act 1972 on 31 January 2020. Jeremy Corbyn , Labour's leader at the election, resigned, triggering the 2020 party leadership election , which was won by his shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer . Jane Dodds , the Liberal Democrats' leader in Wales, was also unseated in Brecon and Radnorshire . In Northern Ireland, Irish nationalist MPs outnumbered unionists for
13312-571: 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
13440-603: 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
13568-519: 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
13696-453: 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
13824-533: 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
13952-583: 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
14080-419: The winner of the 2019 Conservative leadership election , was able to secure parliamentary support either for a deal on the terms of the country's exit from the EU, or for exiting the EU without an agreed deal. Johnson later succeeded in bringing his withdrawal agreement to a second reading in Parliament, following another extension until January 2020. After Johnson's 2019 win, a new Withdrawal Agreement Bill
14208-399: Was a £58bn promise to women who are "relatively well off on average" and would result in public finances going off target. They said that Labour's manifesto would not increase UK public spending as a share of national income above Germany. They found that Labour's plan to spend and invest would boost economic growth but that the impact of tax rises, government regulation, nationalisations, and
14336-426: Was also focused on Brexit. It opposed privatising the NHS. It sought to reduce immigration, cutting net migration to 50,000 per year; cutting VAT on domestic fuel; banning the exporting of waste; free broadband in deprived regions; scrapping the BBC licence fee; and abolishing inheritance tax, interest on student loans, and High Speed 2 . It also wanted to move to a United States-style supreme court . The policies of
14464-476: 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
14592-528: 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
14720-443: 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
14848-461: Was considered a highly unlikely outcome by observers, they would revoke the Article 50 notification immediately and cancel Brexit. Part-way through the campaign, the Liberal Democrats dropped the policy of revoking Article 50 after the party realised it was not going to win a majority in the election. The Democratic Unionist Party was in favour of a withdrawal agreement in principle but opposed
14976-650: Was described as having "little in the way of changes to tax" by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The decision to keep the rate of corporation tax at 19%, and not reduce it to 17% as planned, was expected to raise £6 billion a year. The plan to increase the national insurance threshold for employees and self-employed to £9,500 would cost £2 billion a year. They committed to not raise rates of income tax, National Insurance , or VAT . There were increased spending commitments of £3 billion current spending and £8 billion investment spending. Overall, this would have led to
15104-441: Was described as introducing "enormous economic and social change", and increasing the role of the state to be bigger than anything in the last 40 years. The IFS highlighted a raft of changes in including free childcare, university, personal care, and prescriptions, as well as nationalisations, labour market regulations, increases in the minimum wage, and enforcing "effective ownership of 10% of large companies from current owners to
15232-601: 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 the IRA", although Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott later clarified that although he had met members of
15360-475: 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
15488-439: 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
15616-664: Was introduced in 2020. Compared to its 2019 October predecessor, this bill offered, in the words of political scientist Meg Russell , "significantly weaker parliamentary oversight of Brexit ... giving parliament no formal role in agreeing the future relationship negotiating objectives, and a diminished role in approving any resulting treaty." During the lifespan of the 2017 Parliament, twenty MPs resigned from their parties, mostly due to disputes with their party leaderships; some formed new parties and alliances. In February 2019, eight Labour and three Conservative MPs left their parties to sit together as The Independent Group . Having undergone
15744-467: Was likely. The opposition Labour Party called for a 2019 vote of confidence in the May ministry but the motion, held in January, failed. May resigned following her party's poor performance in the 2019 European Parliament election during the first extension granted by the European Union for negotiations on the withdrawal agreement. Boris Johnson won the 2019 Conservative leadership election and became
15872-1069: 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". Member of Parliament (United Kingdom) King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee In
16000-577: 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
16128-592: Was support for a second referendum on Brexit. The SNP ruled out either supporting the Conservatives or a coalition with Labour but spoke about a looser form of support, such as a confidence and supply arrangement with the latter, if they supported a second referendum on Scottish independence . The DUP previously supported the Conservative government but withdrew that support given their opposition to Johnson's proposed Brexit deal. It said that it would never support Corbyn as prime minister but could work with Labour if that party were led by someone else. Labour's position on
16256-540: 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
16384-422: Was won by Ed Davey . The DUP won a plurality of seats in Northern Ireland. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) regained parliamentary representation as the DUP lost seats. The election result gave Johnson the mandate he sought from the electorate to formally implement the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union , and to complete
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