Top Corbyn ally left red-faced as it emerges she ripped off speech word for word from Obama
Kate Osamor was accused of plagiarism - but insisted it was only a tribute to Obama's speech
Kate Osamor was accused of plagiarism - but insisted it was only a tribute to Obama's speech
ONE of Jeremy Corbyn's top allies was today left red-faced after it emerged she ripped off a speech from Barack Obama.
Shadow minister Kate Osamor repeated the ex-President's victory speech word for word.
She has now been accused of "plagiarism" - but insists it was a deliberate homage.
Ms Osamor made her copycat speech when she was re-elected as the MP for Edmonton last year, .
She said: "If there is anyone out there who doubts that Edmonton is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of hope is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
"It's the answer told by the lines of people stretched around polling stations, schools and churches.
"By young people who queued, many for the first time in their lives because they believed that voting for Labour this time must be different, that their voices could be the difference."
Her comments are almost exactly the same as those made by Barack Obama when he first became US President in 2008.
He said in his victory speech: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen.
"By people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference."
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told PoliticsHome: "They say plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, but Kate Osamor is no Barack Obama."
But the Shadow International Development Secretary said she was only paying tribute to Mr Obama and didn't think she needed to explain the reference.
A spokesman said: "Kate deliberately invoked a victory speech so famous that she thought it needed no introduction."
Ms Osamor was recently forced to backtrack after she called for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to be deposed - defying Mr Corbyn's policy.
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