Jeremy Corbyn set to ditch his lifelong commitment to freedom of movement in an attempt to rebrand as ‘populist’
The troubled opposition boss will announce he is no longer “wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle.”
JEREMY Corbyn is set to ditch his lifelong commitment to open borders in an desperate attempt to rebrand as a “populist”.
After a major revolt by his MPs, the troubled opposition boss will announce on Tuesday that he is no longer “wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle.”
But the veteran socialist will claim that tariff free access to the EU Single Market is more important than any immigration clampdown.
However he will finally signal that “Labour supports fair rules and reasonably managed migration” as part of any Brexit deal.
And last night a Labour source said the party is designing policies for the next election that “would reduce numbers” of migrant workers coming to Britain from the EU.
The u-turn comes just 24 hours after Deputy Leader Tom Watson warned the party would never win an election again without addressing voters concerns about immigration.
This afternoon Mr Corbyn will relaunch his flailing Labour leadership with Brexit speech in Britain’s Vote Leave heartland.
As he attempts to reverse his latest poll slump, the troubled party chief will visit Peterborough – a city that backed Brexit by 61 per cent to 39 per cent.
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He is expected to say: “Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle.
“But nor can we afford to lose full access to the European markets on which so many British businesses and jobs depend.
“Changes to the way migration rules operate from the EU will be part of the negotiations.
“Labour supports fair rules and reasonably managed migration as part of the post-Brexit relationship with the EU.”
And he is expected to give details of how policies to help reduce EU migration.
He will say: “Labour will take action against undercutting of pay and conditions by closing down cheap labour loopholes, banning exclusive advertising of jobs abroad and strengthening workplace protections.
“That would have the effect of reducing numbers of EU migrant workers in the most deregulated sectors, regardless of the final Brexit deal.”
Whether or not these policies would work, it is the closest the far-left Labour leader has gone in addressing the deep divisions within his own party about their immigration weakness.
But Peterborough’s local Tory MP Stewart Jackson hit back last night: “Peterborough has borne the brunt of Labour’s catastrophic open doors uncontrolled immigration policy.
Mr Jackson, an aide to Brexit Secretary David Davis, went on: “It’s good of Mr Corbyn to leave the metropolitan liberal bubble of Islington, but this is a desperate and cynical u-turn which won’t wash with people in Peterborough or across the UK.”
The speech came as Labour officials were tasked with using Donald Trump’s election winning playbook to turn around hapless Mr Corbyn’s prospects.
As polls showed Labour languishing 14 points behind the Government, senior Labour aides hope to take inspiration from the President-Elect’s aggressive war on media.
The change in tactics and hardening of Labour’s position on border control is part of a plan to paint the 67 year old as an anti-establishment populist figure.
Last night Lib Dem leader Tim Farron blasted “This confirms what we all suspected, that Jeremy Corbyn never had his heart in fighting to protect Britain’s place in Europe.”
Last night Junior Brexit Minister David Jones blasted Labour as “too divided and incompetent to make any sort of success of the UK’s exit from the EU.
“And nor will they get control of immigration.”
He added: “Just this weekend their deputy leader admitted they don’t have a policy, and Jeremy Corbyn has previously said that he’s not concerned at all about numbers.”