RED ON RED
Even this Labour bigwig admits voters ‘can’t stand Corbyn’ and fears for national security if he wins election
JEREMY Corbyn’s health spokesman trashed Labour’s chances of winning Thursday's General Election saying: “It’s dire.”
In a bombshell leaked recording, Jon Ashworth said voters “can’t stand” his boss. And he admitted Marxist Mr Corbyn could pose a threat to national security as PM.
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In a humiliating blow for Labour, he was recorded speaking to a friend - believed to be a Kent Conservative Association chairman Greig Baker - on the phone when he made the comments, just days before the election on December 12, reports.
Mr Ashworth said: “I’ve been going round these national places, it’s dire for Labour. It’s awful for them and it’s the combination of Corbyn and Brexit….outside of the city seats… it’s abysmal out there… they can’t stand Corbyn and they think Labour’s blocked Brexit.
"I think middle-class graduates – remainy people – Labour’s doing well among… but not in big enough numbers to deny the Tories a majority.”
When asked by the pal if a Corbyn PM would be as “bad as I expect”, the Labour frontbencher replied: “I don’t know, on the security stuff; I worked in No.10, I think the machine will pretty quickly move to safeguard security (I mean the civil service machine).
It’s abysmal out there… they can’t stand Corbyn and they think Labour’s blocked Brexit.
John Ashworth
“But it’s not going to happen! I can’t see it happening!”
When asked if there was any chance of moderate Labour MPs launching a coup to get rid of Mr Corbyn, Ashworth replied “No, because we f****d it up".
This is referring to when a vote of No Confidence in the leftie-boss was passed by his own MPs in 2016 but he refused to step down.
The leak is a blow for Labour as they were hoping to give Mr Ashworth a prominent role in the closing days of the campaign as they attack the Tories on the NHS.
But with the shadow health secretary already pulling out of media appearances as he faced questions over his damning comments, it places the party on the back foot.
Jon Ashworth's Corbyn blasts
On voters hating Jeremy Corbyn
He said: “I’ve been going round these national places, it’s dire for Labour.
“It’s awful for them and it’s the combination of Corbyn and Brexit….outside of the city seats… it’s abysmal out there… they can’t stand Corbyn and they think Labour’s blocked Brexit.
“I think middle-class graduates – remainy people – Labour’s doing well among… but not in big enough numbers to deny the Tories a majority.”
On Mr Corbyn’s chances of reaching No10
He said: “I just can’t see it happening.
“It wouldn’t surprise me – for sake of argument – we held Canterbury because of sort of middle-class, Guardian-reading people, but then the Tories take Bolsover off of Labour it wouldn’t surprise me.
“The electoral map has being going topsy-turvey because of Brexit and Corbyn.”
On a Labour coup to get rid of Mr Corbyn
“No because we f****d it up; we fucked it up in 2016 when we went too early. People like me were internally saying ‘this isn’t the right moment’ but I got kind of ignored.
“But I don’t think we’re going to get there; In Mansfield, in Ashfield, it’s dire for the Labour Party up there, these traditional working areas.”
On getting rid of Mr Corbyn if the Tories get a majority
He said: “That’s the thing that’s on our minds… I think things can change quickly; I think things change more quickly anyway now.”
On Mr Corbyn being a risk to national security
He said: “I don’t know, on the security stuff; I worked in No.10, I think the machine will pretty quickly move to safeguard security (I mean the civil service machine).
“But it’s not going to happen! I can’t see it happening!”
Mr Ashworth has hit back the tape and said it was just banter between two “mates” but conceded it had made him look like a "plonker".
He told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire: “I was having a bit of banter with a Tory friend of mine, at least I thought he was a friend, a Tory activist called Greig Baker.
“He was like the Tories are going to lose and I said ‘no you’re going to be fine’. Joshing as old friends do and he’s only gone and leaked it to a website.
"It’s a bit of joshing, because he’s an activist, it’s a bit like saying to your mate who’s a fan of a rival football team. You’re trying to unnecessarily boost their ego and make them become complacent.
“He was my friend, I went to America with this guy 15 years ago and he’s leaked it all – I can’t believe it. It’s joshing around and he’s leaked it, I can’t believe it. We’re supposed to be mates.”
Tory chairman James Cleverly said if Mr Corbyn own “lieutenants” can’t trust him – then voters should not either.
He said: “This is an honest and truly devastating assessment of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership by one of his most trusted election lieutenants.
It’s joshing around and he’s leaked it, I can’t believe it. We’re supposed to be mates.
Jon Ashworth
“He admits that Labour has blocked Brexit and that is why voters ‘can’t stand Corbyn’.
"If even Corbyn’s closest political allies think he is unfit to be Prime Minister, why on earth should voters be expected to put their trust in him and them.
“Corbyn’s Labour have broken their promises to the British people on Brexit and they will not be able to deliver their fantasy manifesto.
“As Ashworth himself says, only a vote for Boris Johnson and the Conservatives will mean we can get Brexit done.”
The Tories seized on his comments to warn that Mr Corbyn’s opposition to Nato and nuclear weapons, and links with terrorists make him unfit to be PM.
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In a speech in Uttoxeter Mr Johnson called Mr Corbyn a “Hamas-backing, IRA-supporting, anti-Semitism- condoning appeaser of the Kremlin”.
He said: “If you doubt me, look at what his health spokesman said. He revealed he thought his own leader is a security risk.”
The Tory leader added: “Jon Ashworth made it absolutely clear the reason Mr Corbyn is failing to persuade some people to vote for him is he is blocking Brexit — he won’t get Brexit done.”
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Labour's Jonathan Ashworth confirms recording of a private chat in which he slams Jeremy Corbyn is real but says it was just 'banter'
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