Piers Corbyn dramatically interrupted a leaders’ debate ahead of the local elections on Thursday night (April 28) at Southwark Cathedral.
Mr Corbyn, the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy, is standing in next week’s election but was not invited to speak at the event, where Labour leader Kieron Williams, Liberal Democrat leader Hamish McCallum and Green Party candidate Clare Wood all answered locals’ questions.
And as the leaders were introduced at the start, Mr Corbyn stood up from his seat and shouted: “There are other people here who are leaders of the political parties in Southwark. I am one, Piers Corbyn!…
“We stand for accountability and democracy. We should be there… you don’t believe in democracy!”
Southwark elections special 2022: Corbyn wants to establish an anti-lockdown enclave
Mr Corbyn was eventually shouted down by Amir Eden, chair of Living Bankside, the group that organised the event. Mr Eden said that Mr Corbyn was not invited because his Let London Live party does not have any elected officials, either in Southwark or anywhere else.
“Closed club! They’re not interested. Pathetic! Pathetic! Pathetic!” Mr Corbyn continued.
Mr Eden eventually threatened to call the police on Mr Corbyn, who sat down and let the debate continue.
Southwark elections special 2022: one week to go until voters head to the polls
Mr Corbyn is Let London Live’s only candidate. He is standing in Walworth’s Faraday ward on an anti-Covid vaccine, anti-lockdown platform. A campaign leaflet for the party demands that “LABOUR must be PUNISHED” and proclaims Mr Corbyn “A POWERFUL VOICE for TRUTH”.
About 100 people came to the Southwark Cathedral hustings. Cllrs Williams and McCallum and Ms Wood fielded questions on several topics including the environment and climate, and housing and consultation.
Southwark elections special 2022: Labour’s Kieron Williams – ‘environment, housing and jobs’
The debate occasionally got testy, although the exchanges between Labour and the Lib Dems mostly covered familiar ground. Cllr McCallum accused Cllr Williams of letting Southwark residents down by not acting fast enough on the climate emergency and not listening to people’s views.
Cllr Williams in turn traced the roots of some of the council’s problems back to funding cuts to local authorities made by central government when the Lib Dems were in coalition with the Conservatives between 2010 and 2015.