Jeremy Corbyn, an independent candidate for Parliament, won his seat against a candidate from the Labour Party, which he once led.
It was a rehabilitation for Mr Corbyn, who for the first time ran against the party he led from 2015 to 2020.
Corbyn, who had held the seat since 1983, was suspended as Labour leader and eventually purged by the party over his response to allegations of anti-Semitism during his time in office.
For many in his constituency — an area of London where wealth and poverty are entrenched — the race meant choosing between a longstanding affinity for Labour and a politician who had represented the area for more than 40 years and was a well-known presence in the community. For others, Corbyn’s handling of perceived anti-Semitism on the far-left of the Labour Party when he was leader left a lasting stain on his reputation.
On the way to election day, a poll by YouGov had declared the race would be a toss-up, with the Labour candidate, Praful Nargund, holding a narrow lead over Mr Corbyn.
Paul Anthony Ogunwemimo, who said he had lived in the area for 14 years, called Mr Corbyn “a very nice man”. But he had voted for the Labour candidate on Thursday, he said, largely to support Keir Starmer, who replaced Mr Corbyn as leader of the party.
Hibbah Filli, who was born and raised in Corbyn’s constituency, said many of her friends and family had voted for him in the past because he was “more of a Labour thing”. She said she supported Corbyn when she voted for the first time on Thursday.
“I feel like he’s very committed to the community,” she said. “I feel like he’s done a good job for a long time, and I think we need a diverse range of voices in the House.”
