Jeremy Corbyn has accused Keir Starmer of “rewriting history” when the current party leader claimed he had known Labour would lose the 2019 general election.
Mr Starmer was a leading member of Mr Corbyn’s shadow cabinet in 2019, when Labour suffered one of its worst general-election defeats.
He has since distanced himself from Mr Corbyn’s leadership and many of the policies the former leader put forward at that election.
Mr Starmer has even accused the Conservatives of building a “Jeremy Corbyn-style manifesto” that will “load everything into the wheelbarrow” without explaining how to pay for it.
Asked by Sky News, on Wednesday, to explain why he had campaigned for Mr Corbyn’s manifesto, Mr Starmer said: “I was certain that we would lose the 2019 election.
“I did campaign for Labour – of course I did.
“I will openly say I campaigned for Labour
“I wanted good colleagues to be returned into the Labour Party.”
Mr Starmer has repeatedly stressed how he has changed the party since taking over from Mr Corbyn, in 2020.
Speaking at the launch of Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, Mr Starmer said he was now offering a “serious plan for the future of our country”.
Addressing Mr Starmer’s claim he had known Labour would lose the 2019 general election, Mr Corbyn said: “Well, he never said that to me, at any time.
“And so I just think rewriting history is no help.
“It shows double standards, shall we say, that he now says he always thought that but he never said it at the time or anything about it.
“He was part of the campaign.
“He and I spoke together at events and I find it actually quite sad.”
Mr Corbyn added his message to the Labour leader was to “own” his involvement with the 2019 campaign.
The former Labour leader is standing as an independent candidate in Islington North, after being expelled from the Labour Party.
The other candidates standing in the constituency are:
- Vikas Aggarwal. Liberal Democrats
- Karen Harries, Conservative Party
- Paul Josling. Independent
- Sheridan Kates, Green Party
- Praful Nargund, Labour Party
- Martyn Nelson, Reform UK
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