JEREMY Corbyn today challenged his Labour rival to become Islington North MP to a public debate “at a time and place” of his choosing during the final week of the election campaign.

In a letter to private health entrepreneur Praful Nargund, the former Labour leader said voters had been left “disappointed by your repeated ducking of local hustings.”

The independent candidate added residents “deserve to know what they are voting for… they deserve to know your views
on — and connection to — private healthcare.”

Mr Corbyn, who is standing as an independent candidate after being barred from Labour, added that it is “alarming” that he is “unwilling to make time to engage with members of the public.”

Mr Nargund’s refusal to take questions “displays a troubling
level of disregard for those [he] seek[s] to represent,” he added in his letter.

The Labour hopeful was criticised after refusing to appear at three hustings last week — with empty chairs used to highlight his absence.

He was a no-show at debates in Islington North on climate, health and housing.

Organisers of the health hustings, Keep Our NHS Public, cancelled the event after Mr Nargund and the Conservative candidate declined to attend.

The campaign group said they were “hugely disappointed that Islington’s Labour and Conservative candidates did not want to take the opportunity to present their party’s standpoint on the NHS,” later adding that “the Labour candidate has links to private healthcare.”

Labour said: “Praful had to decline the hustings and sent his apologies.

“This is a snap election and our priority is speaking directly to as many voters as possible in the limited time we have available.

“We’ve already spoken to thousands of local residents in the last few weeks, and will be speaking to thousands more before election day.”