I wish he wouldn’t, but can’t really blame him for trying. He might well win, after all.
EDIT: There’s precedent for this, it turns out! Last time an incumbent, independent former Labour MP in Islington North ran for re-election was in the 1983 GE, when some guy called Jeremy Corbyn won easily for Labour. I don’t think there’s much read-through to the current situation because, firstly, the incumbent in 1983, Michael O’Halloran, obviously didn’t have Corbyn’s national recognition and, secondly, O’Halloran not only had defected (not been expelled), but had effectively defected twice: from Labour to the SDP, then from the SDP to ‘Independent Labour’ (in reality, just him) when he wasn’t selected to fight the seat for his new party.
I wish he wouldn’t, but can’t really blame him for trying. He might well win, after all.
EDIT: There’s precedent for this, it turns out! Last time an incumbent, independent former Labour MP in Islington North ran for re-election was in the 1983 GE, when some guy called Jeremy Corbyn won easily for Labour. I don’t think there’s much read-through to the current situation because, firstly, the incumbent in 1983, Michael O’Halloran, obviously didn’t have Corbyn’s national recognition and, secondly, O’Halloran not only had defected (not been expelled), but had effectively defected twice: from Labour to the SDP, then from the SDP to ‘Independent Labour’ (in reality, just him) when he wasn’t selected to fight the seat for his new party.