Jeremy Corbyn allies claim he is 'neck and neck' with Labour in election battle

Allies of the former Labour leader said they are confident he could retain the seat.

They said early canvassing suggests he is "neck and neck" with the Labour candidate, Praful Nargund.

Other candidates are "miles behind", the source close to the Corbyn camp said.

They told Sky: "If we get more volunteers out to inform people that Jeremy is standing as an independent, we will win."

The source also admitted there has been "some confusion on the doorstep about Jeremy being an independent" - with some people who were planning to back the candidate under the impression that he is still a Labour member.

They added: "The conversations on the doorstep make a huge difference".

Corbyn was expelled from the parliamentary party over his response to EHRC's damning report on antisemitism in 2020 and then sat as an independent MP.

In February, Starmer confirmed that Corbyn will "categorically" not stand as a Labour Party candidate at the next general election, saying he "betrayed" the values of the British people.

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He said: "Let me be very clear about that: Jeremy Corbyn will not stand for Labour at the next general election, as a Labour Party candidate.

"What I said about the party changing, I meant, and we are not going back, and that is why Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election."

Starmer said that anti-semitism is "an evil" and "no political party that cultivates it deserves to hold power".