Jeremy Corbyn heading for election defeat in Islington North, poll shows
Survation poll, commissioned by Corbyn supporters, shows Labour candidate Praful Nargund on 43 percent and the former party leader, standing as an independent, on 29 percent
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Jeremy Corbyn is heading for defeat in Islington North, a poll commissioned by some of his staunchest supporters has revealed.
The poll done by respected firm Survation has Labour’s candidate Praful Nargund on 43 percent, while Corbyn, standing as an independent in the north London seat is on 29 percent.
Nargund, a respected local councillor in the seat, has been forced to put up with a torrent of online abuse as he campaigns to win the seat, held by the former Labour leader since 1983.
After it emerged that a group of Jewish school children had been subjected an antisemitic abuse at Belsize Park tube station, Nargund joined Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in immediately condemning the attack. He wrote: “I condemn this unconscionable attack against Jewish children in the strongest possible terms. All our young people should be safe and secure to go about their lives in our capital without the risk of violence.”
A 2015 video clip posted to X in which Nargund appears to say that “privatisation of healthcare is very, very important” has been deliberately edited and the candidate has stressed that it does not represent his views.
The 33-year-old, who was previously a director at his family’s private IVF treatment firm, also said he “fully and proudly believes in an NHS that is free at the point of use”.
Nargund, whose parents came to the UK in the 1980s to work in the NHS, told the Islington Gazette: “My politics are rooted in the fact that I come from an NHS family and believe in those values.”What I was talking about was actually about how IVF services should become more affordable.”All I was trying to do was highlight this was an important issue which needed to be talked about.”
Bradford-born Nargund, who moved to Islington in 2015, said he would continue to campaign to reduce waiting lists at Whittington Hospital, as well as opposing the potential closure of its maternity unit.
He listed the cost-of-living crisis and London housing crisis as problems he would like to help tackle if elected.
Last week Jewish News revealed that one Corbyn supporter, who was still chair of the local CLP, hid in a hedge after Labour activists caught her campaigning for him.
Alison McGarry resigned from Labour rather than face expulsion.
In a bizarre response to the Survation poll, Hilary Schan, former Momentum chair and member of campaign group We Deserve Better, told Novara Media: “Our supporters campaigning for Jeremy have spoken to postal voters who have already voted Labour thinking they were voting for Jeremy.
“Other voters have said they’re worried about the Tories getting in if they don’t vote Labour, which is obviously impossible.
“This poll should be a wake up call for anyone who supports Jeremy but hasn’t been down to campaign for him,” she continued.
“We need more campaigners to help us inform as many voters as possible that Jeremy is an independent, [and] that it’s a two horse race between him and Labour.”
Survation surveyed 514 Islington North voters over the age of 18 between 20 and 25 June 2024.
The poll was commissioned by Stats for Lefties in partnership with Novara Media and We Deserve Better, and was funded with the support of 304 donors in a GoFundMe campaign
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