NEVER GONNA GIVE EU UP
Jeremy Corbyn lets Brexit voters down as he refuses SEVEN TIMES to confirm he’d back will of the people in painful telly interview
JEREMY Corbyn raised fears he may betray Brexit voters after refusing seven times to confirm that he would take Britain out of the EU.
The under-fire Labour leader sparked the fresh muddle during a BBC interview yesterday.
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Asked whether would be definitely be leaving the Union, "come hell or high water", Mr Corbyn merely said: "There was a clear vote a year ago," and stressed his wish to get a "good deal with Europe".
The BBC's political editor repeatedly pressed him on the issue, but he dodged the question again and again.
"People know there was a referendum a year ago," the 67-year-old added.
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"I don't know any more than you do exactly what is going to happen in the future.
"It was put to him that if he couldn't categorically say we would definitely leave, there was a possibility that if Labour won the upcoming election, Mr Corbyn might try and keep us in the bloc.
And he would not rule it out.
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He replied: "The danger is of the approach the Conservatives are taking in their megaphone diplomacy with Europe and approaching the whole thing as though what you've got to do is shout loud and be abusive to people across the Channel.
"Our view is you have to talk to them, negotiate with them and recognise there is actually quite a lot of common interest, particularly in manufacturing industry. That is the process we're following."
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David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union said in response:
“The chaotic incoherence of Jeremy Corbyn’s approach to Brexit means that the 27 other EU countries would make mincemeat of him in the negotiations.
“This morning he said he was settled on leaving the EU – this afternoon he can’t say whether he will do it.
“We simply cannot take the risk of Corbyn in Downing Street in 4 weeks’ time negotiating Britain’s future. If you want strong, stable leadership through Brexit and beyond then you have to vote for Theresa May and her local Conservative candidate on 8 June.”
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The 67-year-old Labour leader said earlier today that the issue of Brexit was "settled" as he tried to avoid making it the centre of his campaign.
The party's position on leaving the EU has long been confusing.
Mr Corbyn campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union, but he has been a consistent Eurosceptic.
When he was asked how much out of ten he supported our EU membership during the referendum campaign, he answered "seven".
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Since Britain voted to leave the EU, the party has been in chaos over how to position themselves on Brexit.
Mr Corbyn was forced to U-turn on plans for a second referendum when the party ruled out putting it in their manifesto just hours after avoiding questions on the subject.
Senior figures in the party were said to be mulling over the idea of promising another vote in the upcoming election - but it was soon quashed.
The Labour leader also said recently that Brexit could give us more powers to support local businesses.
Mr Corbyn said last month that severing ties with Brussels could “give us more powers to encourage best practises and support new and existing businesses and industries in Britain”.
Seven times Corbyn fails to answer the question
Here is the transcript from the BBC where the Labour leader failed to rule out keeping the UK in the EU:
Laura Kuenssberg: Jeremy Corbyn let's start with Brexit because if you become prime minister it will be the biggest task in front of you. You said today Brexit is settled. Does that mean if you're prime minister, come hell or high water, whatever the deal on the table, we will be leaving the European Union?
Jeremy Corbyn: Look there's a clear vote in the referendum a year ago. But there is now the negotiations which have already begun. I sent a letter to President Elect Macron last night congratulating him on his election and also setting out in broad terms what our aims are in these negotiations: To have good relations with Europe of course, secondly to make sure there is a trade access, a tariff free trade access, to European markets. Thirdly, that we will of course protect the rights of EU nationals living in Britain which we will do straight away and that we will also ensure that the regulations that we got from the European Union such as Working Time Directive and employment conditions will be defended and maintained. It has to be put very clearly.
LK: That is what you would hope to achieve. But on that specific point if you say Brexit is settled whatever happens in the negotiations - however well or badly they go - we would be leaving if you were prime minister.
JC: We will go into the negotiations with the determination to achieve what I've just outlined. And it's not a one-off meeting, it's not a one-off discussion. It also involves relations with all the governments across Europe in every one of the member states as well as their parliaments and the European governments and the commission.
LK: But forgive me Jeremy Corbyn that's not quite my question. My question is if you're prime minister we will leave come hell or high water whatever is on the table at the end of the negotiations?
JC: We win the election we'll get the good deal with Europe. A good deal with Europe that will ensure that the very large number of manufacturing jobs in Britain that rely on trade with Europe won't suddenly find themselves under World Trade Organization rules where there'll be a tariff wall put up immediately around this country.
LK: But on that specific point Jeremy Corbyn few few can predict how the negotiations will go either for Theresa May...
JC: The specific point is we're negotiating to gain that market access to Europe.
LK: But you won't say then that we might potentially stay or we might... just to be completely clear because people will want to know this. If you're prime minister we will leave whatever happens?
JC: People know that there's been a referendum and a decision was made a year ago. We've set out very clear our terms for negotiations. Keir Starmer has built those relationships across Europe and that is what we'll be pursuing in the European Union. I don't know any more than you do exactly what is going to happen in the future on this, but I do know we are not approaching this from megaphone diplomacy. We're not approaching this from threats. We're not proposing to set up some kind of tax haven on the shores of the European Union. We're serious about these negotiations.
LK: But forgive me Jeremy Corbyn this is a very important point to lots of people. As you say, we don't know what will happen in the negotiations. If you are prime minister can you categorically say that we would definitely leave because if you won't there is a chink of a possibility that things could change and we might end up looking differently at our options.
JC: The danger is of the approach the Conservatives are taking in their megaphone diplomacy with Europe and approaching the whole thing as though what you've got to do is shout loud and be abusive to people across the Channel. Our view is you have to talk to them, negotiate with them and recognise there is actually quite a lot of common interest, particularly in manufacturing industry. That is the process we're following.
LK: So you won't you won't address that point specifically?
JC: We are negotiating a trade arrangement with Europe and protection of the things that we've gained from the European Union.
And the party faces a difficult scenario now as huge swathes of traditionally Labour voters in northern heartlands opted to quit the EU.
But many supporters in inner cities backed Remain - leaving the party in an impossible position to try and appeal to both groups.
Yesterday even London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan said the party's policy on Brexit was unclear.
He told The New Statesman that voters didn't know what they stood for.
Mr Khan said: "There is an issue on the doorstep, which is people are unclear about the Labour position [on Brexit] nationally."
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The Labour leader officially kicked off the party's election campaign today with a speech in Manchester.
Mr Corbyn pledged an all-out assault on British capitalism as he vowed his team would "demand our money back" from the rich.
He also claimed Labour was “under attack because we are standing up to the elites”.
Pleading with voters to back his ailing party, he said: “Our political system is broken and our economy is rigged”.
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