Jeremy Corbyn has been backed by members of the Islington North Constituency Labour Party, after the former Labour leader was blocked from standing for the party.

Sir Keir Starmer said in March that his predecessor would not be the party’s candidate for the north London seat at the next general election.

But on Wednesday night, a motion thanking the former Labour leader for his “commitment and service to the people” and saying it was members’ “democratic right to select our MP” was passed by 98% at the local party’s monthly general meeting.

Sixty members backed the motion, with one abstaining, according to a spokesperson for the veteran left-winger.

No-one voted against it.

The motion read: “This CLP would like to thank our sitting MP J Corbyn for his commitment and service to the people, and want to express that it should be our democratic right to select our MP.”

Mr Corbyn sits in the Commons as an independent in Parliament following the party’s handling of antisemitism allegations under his stewardship.

In March, the National Executive Committee backed a proposal from Sir Keir not to endorse Mr Corbyn in contesting his Islington North seat for Labour at the next election.

Mr Corbyn criticised the move at the time as a “shameful attack on party democracy”.