Jeremy Corbyn performs u-turns on freedom of movement AND ‘idiotic’ wage cap within hours
The hapless Labour leader said the party was 'not wedded' to freedom of movement but nor did they want to rule it out
JEREMY Corbyn’s “populist relaunch” was branded “a day of chaos” after the dithering socialist ditched two major new policies within hours.
Labour MPs were left in despair by their hapless leader’s major u-turn on border controls and a half-cocked clamp down on mega-rich pay.
Ahead of his big new year “reboot” speech, Labour signalled that Mr Corbyn would announce he was no longer “wedded to freedom of movement as a point of principle”.
But in a day of flip flops the under-fire Labour boss instead said there was “not a sea-change at all” in his pro-immigration position.
And he took to the breakfast airwaves to deny that the record levels of migration to the UK were too high.
He added “we’re not saying anyone couldn’t come here” and later added a line to his speech to say that he did not “rule out” further free movement to the UK after Brexit.
In a further shambles the veteran lefty issued an unexpected call for a Lenin-style cap on the pay of super rich footballers and bosses, branding their pay “utterly ridiculous.”
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The surprise move came as part of the troubled leader’s bid to rebrand as a “populist” like Donald Trump.
But he insisted his National Maximum Wage policy would kick in “somewhat higher” than his own massive £138,000 salary.
“I would like to see a maximum earnings limit, quite honestly, because I think that would be a fairer thing to do,” he said
However economists quickly dismissed the on the hoof policy — that was enforced in Cuba and Venezuela — as “totally bananas.”
It was first suggested by Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, and even ex-Corbyn economics adviser said the policy was “totally idiotic unworkable idea.”
Former member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee David Blanchflower added that he would have told Mr Corbyn so “if I was still an adviser.”
However when he gave his speech in Peterborough yesterday afternoon Mr Corbyn had watered down the controversial new policy to a “consultation” on the ratio between workers and bosses pay.
He backtracked to reports, saying: “You could set a limit on top pay, I think it’s probably better to look at the ratio issue”.
His spokesman later said he “misspoke” after being asked about a “cap” during two separate interviews.
The shambolic day prompted Labour MPs to brand Mr Corbyn “confused.com” and “more Trotsky than Trump.”
Conservative Party Chairman hit out: “Jeremy Corbyn’s day has gone from bad to worse —with his ‘relaunch’ descending further into chaos.”
Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP added: “Labour simply could not be more out of touch with ordinary working people.”
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Economic experts hit out, claiming the pay cap policy would destroy the British economy.
Sam Bowman, boss of the Adam Smith Institute, said “a bananas” maximum salary cap “would hurt British firms and ultimately ordinary British workers.”
The top wonk added: “If you rely on the NHS or other public services, this is bad news: tax revenues will fall as these highly-paid executives move abroad.
“If we want Britain to boom, we need to let business hire who it wants and pay them what it wants.”
Labour MP John Mann said a wage cap of £100,000 per year should apply to the Labour party too – which would lead to a £38,000 cut for the leader.