A leader of the Left-wing group Momentum today announced she wants to be a London MP and replace Enfield North’s current member, who quit the Labour party over alleged anti-Semitism.
Laura Parker, the national co-ordinator of the Jeremy Corbyn-backing movement, has entered Labour’s selection race in the constituency and said: “I’m ready to represent Enfield North, back Jeremy Corbyn and help implement the most ambitious, transformational programme this country has ever seen.
“The establishment will come for us with all they’ve got. They know we’ll take them on, and we’ll win.”
The seat is currently held by former Labour MP Joan Ryan, who quit the party in February saying it had become “infected” with anti-Jewish racism under Mr Corbyn.
Ms Ryan, now a member of The Independent Group for Change, won Enfield North at the 2017 election by a 10,247 majority, defeating long-time Tory challenger Nick de Bois.
During the campaign she put out a leaflet making the case that residents could vote for her in the knowledge that Labour leader Mr Corbyn would not get into No 10 as she did not believe the election would lead to a change in Prime Minister.
“I won my seat despite him, not because of him,” she said today. Ms Ryan is yet to announce whether she will stand for re-election.
It comes as Labour’s war over Brexit was reignited today when deputy leader Tom Watson called for a second referendum — before a general election — and said it was the only way to break the deadlock.
He also said if there is a general election before a referendum, the party should “unambiguously and unequivocally back Remain”.
The announcement put him at odds with Mr Corbyn who said Labour would commit to a public vote during the next general election campaign “with a credible option to Leave and the option to Remain”.
Speaking at a conference this morning, Mr Watson said: “The only way to break the Brexit deadlock once and for all is a public vote in a referendum. A general election might well fail to solve this Brexit chaos.”
MP Owen Smithtold BBC Radio that Mr Watson was “speaking for the majority of Labour members”.
But fellow MP Caroline Flint said his intervention was “fantasy politics”, while Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, said it was “irresponsible”.
