Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has initiated legal action against ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage for defamation. Farage accused Corbyn of subscribing to an antisemitic conspiracy theory on his TV show, prompting Corbyn to respond by instructing lawyers to begin the “first steps in legal proceedings” against Farage.
In his show, Farage stated, “I was never a subscriber to the madcap conspiracy theory that the Jews run the world. But I’ll tell you who was. Yes, Jeremy Corbyn.”
Corbyn, in his statement on Monday, denounced Farage’s remarks as “highly defamatory” and emphasized that he and his supporters are advocates for peace, not purveyors of conspiracy theories.
Corbyn’s legal action comes amid ongoing political challenges. In March last year, he was formally blocked from standing as a Labour candidate in the next general election.
The National Executive Body of Labour approved a motion proposed by current leader Keir Starmer not to endorse Corbyn, effectively preventing him from running in his constituency of Islington North, where he has been the MP since 1983.
Corbyn’s suspension from the party began in 2020 due to an antisemitism row, during which he criticized a report for overstating the issue within Labour.
Despite these challenges, Corbyn remains committed to his political principles, stating, “I will not be intimidated into silence. I have spent my life fighting for a fairer society on behalf of the people of Islington North, and I have no intention of stopping now.”
