Labour policy muddled again after Jeremy Corbyn refuses to commit to cut migration but Emily Thornberry says Party won’t ‘die in a ditch’ for unlimited migration
The Labour leader said today that immigrants were not to blame for Britain's problems and that ministers should focus on ending the exploitation of workers
LABOUR was plunged into fresh chaos yesterday as Emily Thornberry said the party won’t “die in a ditch” to defend unlimited EU migration.
The Shadow Foreign Secretary said free movement rules were “up for negotiation” but the economy was more important.
Speaking on ITV’s Peston on Sunday, she said: “We’re not going to die in a ditch about it.”
The comments came just moments after Jeremy Corbyn once more refused to say EU migration was too high. And he said: “Let’s not blame the migrants for the problems that we have.”
After Labour spinners insisted he would tell the UK he favoured “reasonably managed migration” he instead said he was prepared to accept free movement.
And he said record net migration of 330,000 wasn’t too high.
His Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, insisted this morning his disastrous relaunch was part of a "pretty good" week for Labour. "We drew people into a debate that they'd never had before," he told Sky.
Today Mr Corbyn told the Andrew Marr Show that the Government should look at the economic issues that have caused record levels of immigration.
"Let’s not blame migrants for the problems that we have,” he said, emphasising that ministers should focus on “ending the grotesque level of exploitation and the undercutting that goes on."
He went on: "Lets look at the issue of the flow of people in the context of access to a free market... Are we going to cut ourselves off from Europe completely? I don’t think so."
Lib Dem MP John Pugh mocked: "Labour won’t die in a ditch about anything nowadays. Corbyn is about as useful as a chocolate tea pot."
Today he said that Labour would not block any vote to triggering Article 50, but he would "work around" the referendum result.
Mr Corbyn also rowed back on his calls for a maximum wage cap today - despite a new poll which said most people supported the plans.
"I understand it is a popular opinion... word on the street is that people quite like the idea," he said.
But Mr Corbyn added this morning that "a better idea is the ratio concept" where the top paid in a company are linked to the lowest paid.
He said the rules wouldn't apply to footballers because they didn't run companies, but insisted that they were still paid too much.
In a direct-to camera message to Arsenal player Mesut Ozil, Mr Corbyn said:
“You are a fantastic player... but can you just, live with what you've got at the moment?”
"I think it should have an electoral mandate," he said. "I would like us to get to that position by 2020."
The Islington MP said he would be willing to look into a new tax to raise funds for the NHS, and that Labour would cut corporation taxes to pay for new funds.
"It's a human right to get heathcare at the point of need," he said.
"The Prime Minister blames the GPs for this, surely lets look at the overall problem of the lack of funding."
Nus Ghani MP, said Labour didn't speak for ordinary people in Britain.
"Once again, under repeated questioning, Jeremy Corbyn refused to say that immigration into Britain is too high. And his Shadow Foreign Secretary also said that getting control of the numbers coming here from Europe isn't a priority.
"Labour don't want to get control of our borders and are completely out of touch with ordinary working people. They do not speak for the concerns and aspirations of people in our country.
"Only the Conservative party can be trusted to get control of immigration and deliver the will of the people by making a success of leaving the EU."