Jeremy Corbyn has announced he is standing as an independent candidate in the General Election.

The former Labour leader said he will stand in his constituency of Islington North, vowing to be “an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace”.

Mr Corbyn has been suspended by Labour since 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge and said antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.

Mr Corbyn told the Islington Tribune that he would fight to retain a seat he has represented for 40 years, adding: “We have to stand up and defend our rights.”

Mr Corbyn appealed to lifelong Labour voters, saying that “I am here to represent the people of Islington North on exactly the same principles that I’ve stood by my whole life: social justice, human rights and peace”.

He went on to say that “these principles are needed now more than ever before”, vowing to defend “a genuine alternative to the corrupt years of this Tory government”, including rent controls, public ownership of energy and water, the abolition of the two-child benefits cap, a Green New Deal, and an ethical foreign policy based on peace and human rights.

Mr Corbyn added: “When I was first elected, I made a promise to stand by my constituents no matter what. In Islington North, we keep our promises.”

Labour has reduced its search to replace Mr Corbyn as a General Election candidate to two people.

The former party leader has been sitting as an independent MP for Islington North since 2020 when he had the Labour whip suspended.

The party has shortlisted Sem Moema, a member of the London Assembly, and Praful Nargund, an Islington councillor.

Mr Corbyn had a majority of 26,188 in his Islington North seat at the 2019 election when running as a Labour candidate, and was first elected to Parliament in 1983.

Rail, Maritime and Transport union general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We are supporting Jeremy Corbyn because his track record of supporting RMT members, being a friend of our union and having strong traditional Labour values is second to none.

“RMT is supporting a range of Labour and socialist candidates at the next general election.

“Our NEC will meet in the coming weeks to formulate our approach on July 4.”