Controversial ex-Labour MP John Woodcock announces he won’t stand in general election


Support us and go ad-free

Labour-turned-independent MP John Woodcock has announced that he will not stand in the forthcoming general election.

Woodcock and the Spectator magazine’s assistant editor Isabel Hardman are expecting a baby, and made the announcement regarding the election through a letter to the MP’s Barrow and Furness constituents.

Woodcock quit Labour last year, having been critical of party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The MP had been sitting as an independent since having the Labour whip withdrawn in April 2018 pending investigation of an allegation of sexual harassment. He denies allegations over supposedly inappropriate texts and emails to a former female staff member between 2014 and 2016.

Woodcock has previously been linked to arms giant BAE Systems, has voted in favour of military interventions abroad, and has opposed holding Saudi Arabia to account for alleged abuses in Yemen. He has also faced criticism for echoing the propaganda of alleged war criminal Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – the president of Turkey.

Featured image and additional content via Press Association

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free
Support us and go ad-free

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us