The former Haringey councillor and current Your Party leader in parliament joined local campaigners ahead of the local election on Thursday, 7th May, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn took to the streets of Tottenham this week to support socialist candidates ahead of the local elections.
The campaign event was organised by Haringey Socialist Alliance (HSA) and began outside White Hart Lane Station on Monday (20th).
Corbyn, who was a Labour councillor in the borough between 1974 and 1983 and continues to be an MP in neighbouring Islington, joined several HSA candidates running for election to Haringey Council on Thursday, 7th May.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) interviewed the former prime ministerial candidate at the event.
Explaining his appearance with the socialist group, Corbyn said he wanted to highlight the issues arising from the Labour-run council entering into too many partnerships with the private sector.
This, he said, was “effectively privatising large swathes of the borough” and leading to many people not getting the housing and support services they need.
He also criticised the local administration’s Labour colleagues in Westminster, saying they had “no vision for local government”.
“What we need,” he added, ”is something a bit better where we have confidence in the democratic ability of people to elect a local authority with the powers to do what is necessary to improve housing, life chances and opportunities”.
Asked what actions he’d take if he was part of Haringey Council today, Corbyn said he would be very strict with planning permission to ensure “good-quality housing and social housing”.
“I would be very strong on a district plan,” he continued, “which means that you do have a built-in system which will give you a much higher level of permanent, secure council housing within the borough.
“If we don’t do that, if Labour-run local authorities won’t do it, then independents must. Otherwise we’re basically handing over our cities to the private sector to do what they will with them”.
In their manifesto, Haringey Labour say they are focused on helping address housing shortages with a promise to build “5,000 new, high-quality council homes by 2035 and 500 affordable key worker homes by 2031”.
Despite being expelled from Labour, Corbyn was re-elected as MP for Islington North in 2024 as an independent. It is a seat he has held since 1983. Coventry South MP Zarah resigned from the Labour Party in 2025 and together with Corbyn launched a new political project, Your Party, last July.
The LDRS interview with Corbyn occurred just hours after Your Party MP Zarah Sultana had been ejected from the House of Commons for calling Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer a “bare-faced liar” in regards to his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
Corbyn said he’d sent Sultana a message wishing her “‘all the best’” following her ejection. He added: “We all asked lots of questions of Starmer and, you know what, we’re all fighting together to challenge this government on its dishonesty”.
The PM has denied misleading parliament over the appointment, saying he had not been properly briefed on Mandelson’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a speech to campaigners at the event, Corbyn said he remained “proud” of what he achieved when part of the local authority. Corbyn did, however, admit he was “deeply embarrassed” by a building granted planning permission in Seven Sisters during his time on the council.
“I was very happy driving past it last year and saw it had been demolished,” he joked, adding: ”I thought: ‘well, my sin has been expunged’ – I won’t even tell you which building it was: it’s too embarrassing!”
The LDRS asked the former prime ministerial candidate how he feels canvassing given the polarisation of public opinion and with right-wing Reform UK now a big force in British politics.
Corbyn said: “Obviously, one has to be careful if you think your movement makes people hostile – but I have to tell you that I travel all the time around the country, mainly by train but in other ways as well and people are friendly and interested.
“Don’t run away with the idea that Reform run everything. Reform are a bit of a sort of media sensation but the reality is Reform are not organised on the ground and they have no message that makes any sense to people that are up against it and need help and support.”
In Corbyn’s opinion, Nigel Farage’s party “are only into blaming victims of human rights abuse, war and environmental disaster”.
The LDRS asked the former Labour leader if parties such as HSA, the Greens and Your Party risked splitting the left-wing vote at next month’s local elections.
He responded: “This is the first time Your Party and others have actually fought elections, so this year there’s a lot of independents all around the country broadly on the same kind of agenda.
“There’s a lot of co-operation at grassroots level with the Greens – some of the places better than others – but I see this as developing a sort of movement for social justice across the country.
“We’re trying to make sure it doesn’t split the vote with Greens so in many cases there’s been agreements reached where, like in Haringey, Greens are standing down and things like that.
“So, yeah: it’s not perfect, of course it’s not – but I tell you what: it’s changed the agenda into a debate about social justice, about housing, about environmental sustainability.
“What I want to develop is a big debate about the need for a national care service which gives social care on the same principles as the NHS, and that’s what I’m determined to do.”
After making speeches and posing for photos outside White Hart Lane Station, Corbyn, together with local campaigners, traveled through parts of Tottenham HSA believe are indicative of some of the issues facing residents in the borough, including dilapidated housing estates set against the £1billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The group stopped outside a set of council flats to discuss issues facing residents in the buildings. There, they were heckled from the windows by some of the residents, who thought they were canvassing for the Labour Party.
This prompted mid-speech chuckle from HSA candidate Amelie Cooper, who is standing in Bruce Castle ward. Taking charge of a megaphone she directed a somewhat surreal rallying call to the building itself.
“We are an independent party, formed for the current elections on the 7th of May,” said Cooper, correcting them. “Haringey Socialist Alliance on your ballots!”
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