Jeremy Corbyn’s wife is part of a group set up to unseat Sir Keir Starmer at the next general election that is also discussing standing independent candidates against Labour in coming by-elections.
Screenshots leaked to Sky News show an account belonging to Laura Alvarez is a member of the Organise Corbyn Inspired Socialist Alliance (OCISA) Facebook group.
Further images show Ms Alvarez’s account commenting in the group – including posting “disgusting creature” on a photo of Sir Keir.
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The group was set up in February as a response to Mr Corbyn being barred from standing for Labour in his Islington North constituency and says it aims to stand a candidate against the “traitorous” Sir Keir in his north London seat at the next general election.
In conversations sent to Sky News, admins of the group said Mr Corbyn’s wife has been a member “almost since day one”.
“As it would be a reason for the Labour Party to expel Jeremy Corbyn if he was found to be helping sponsor a candidate against Starmer, he and his family are keeping out of our work,” posted one admin.
Another then said that Ms Alvarez “seems to agree” with the organisation and that “she is in the group and has sent good wishes”.
A post in the last week from group member Peter Martin suggests standing “independent Labour candidates” in the coming by-elections caused by the resignation of Boris Johnson and two of his allies.
“Labour will need to take 3,606 votes from the Tories [in Uxbridge and South Ruislip] and not lose any of their own votes to any candidate from the left to win, so in theory we could possibly only need a handful of votes to scupper Starmer’s chances”, he wrote.
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Corbyn won’t be drawn on future
Mr Corbyn was suspended from Labour in 2020 for suggesting the scale of antisemitism in the party was overstated for political reasons.
He later issued another statement saying concerns were “neither exaggerated nor overstated”.
Earlier this year, Labour’s National Executive Committee approved a motion from Sir Keir to block his predecessor standing as a Labour candidate for Islington North in the next general election.
Mr Corbyn called this a “shameful attack on party democracy”.
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Sir Keir said it was proof that Labour had changed under his leadership.
Ms Alvarez and Mr Corbyn’s office have been approached for comment.