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Jeremy Corbyn to tell unions: Tories still see you as the enemy within Jeremy Corbyn: Conservatives are 'poverty deniers'
(about 1 hour later)
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is expected to tell trade unionists in a speech on Tuesday that the government still sees them as “the enemy within”. Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Conservative government of being“poverty deniers” and pledged to oppose the welfare reform bill in his first official speech as Labour leader.
In a wide-ranging speech, Corbyn declared himself to be among friends and told delegates at the TUC conference that Labour would oppose Iain Duncan Smith’s plans in full.
Seeking to draw new distinctions between Labour and the Conservatives, Corbyn said: “They call us deficit deniers; they spend billions cutting taxes for the richest families and for the most profitable businesses. What they are is poverty deniers.
“They are ignoring the growing queues at food banks, they are ignoring the housing crisis they are cutting tax credits … let’s be clear: austerity is actually a political choice that this government is taking and they are imposing it on the most vulnerable and poorest in society.”
He said Labour would vote against the government’s welfare reform bill on Tuesday night, a change in position when the party had previously abstained in an earlier Commons vote.
“We oppose the benefit cap. We oppose social cleansing. We will bring the welfare bill down by controlling rents and boosting wages, not by impoverishing families and socially cleansing our communities,” he said.
Related: Bercow tells TUC unions deserve respectRelated: Bercow tells TUC unions deserve respect
In a speech to the Trades Union Congress he will say that the Conservative government thinks it can attack him by attacking the trade unions. He will promise to fight the government’s trade union bill “all the way”. Following a standing ovation as he entered the conference centre in Brighton, the new party leader brushed aside criticism that he has failed to recruit women to top jobs in the party.
“For the Tories, you are still the enemy within,” he will say in a reference to Margaret Thatcher’s infamous remark about trade unions. “After consideration and thought we have appointed a shadow cabinet with a majority of women members for the first time ever,” he said. Sixteen of the 31 shadow cabinet positions have gone to women.
“They think they will put me and Labour on the back foot by highlighting our support for trade unionism. I am a proud trade unionist. We will fight this bill all the way, and if it becomes law we will repeal it in 2020.” Corbyn also disclosed that Labour has gained 30,000 new members since he was elected on Saturday and said that total party membership was at about a third of a million. “It is a very fast journey at the present time,” he said.
Corbyn will pay tribute to the trade union movement and say its principles inspired his own campaign to become party leader. “This congress is a shared celebration of our values as a Labour and trade union movement. Values of solidarity, of compassion, of social justice, of fighting for the underprivileged, and for all working people at home and abroad. Those are the values that have shaped me and my political life. He also pledged to oppose the trade union reform bill and compared the Conservatives’ plans to those used by General Franco to quash dissent during his Spanish dictatorship.
“I am a proud trade unionist. That is why we will fight this bill all the way, and if we win a majority in 2020, we are going to repeal this bill.” he said.
Labour previously abstained on the welfare bill after the acting leader, Harriet Harman, ordered her MPs to abstain because she wanted to show that the party understood the public’s concerns about welfare.
Related: David Davis attacks 'Franco-style' sections of Tories' trade union billRelated: David Davis attacks 'Franco-style' sections of Tories' trade union bill
“They are the values I took around the country to 99 public rallies in this extraordinary summer. And that a quarter of a million have stood up for and voted for.” At the general election the party was committed to keeping the benefit cap – the limit on how much a family can claim in out-of-work benefits – although it did say it would examine the case for regional variations.
He will also say Labour will oppose the welfare bill, which would lead to the “social cleansing” of poorer people. He also spelled out how he would democratise the party and called on every union branch and Labour party member to have a say in policymaking.
“We will bring the welfare bill down by controlling rents and boosting wages, not by impoverishing families and socially cleansing our communities,” he will say. “People came forward to take part in this process, came forward, yes, because they were interested, yes ,because they were hopeful but, yes, because they wanted to be part of democratic process where we make policy together.”
He said he would end “top-down” policymaking. “I want everyone to put there views forward every union branch every party branch so we develop organically the strengths we all have the imagination we all have.”
The GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny, welcomed the speech, describing it as a ”staggeringly different approach to previous Labour party leaders that have addressed the TUC.
“There was no walk-outs this time, it was standing room only. There is very much in Jeremy’s leadership for the working people of this country.”