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| Brexit: Corbyn refuses to rule out backing early election even if bill blocking no-deal fails – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| From Sky’s Sam Coates | |
| Cabinet meeting this afternoon say Whitehall sources | |
| Labour sources are not contesting the Sky report saying Jeremy Corbyn would back an early election in all circumstances (see 12.06pm) - which would include MPs failing to pass the bill ruling out a no-deal Brexit on 31 October, and which could also include a general election scheduled for after 31 October. “We are the opposition and we always want a general election,” a source said. | |
| Here is the full text of Jeremy Corbyn’s speech. | |
| And this is what he said about the sequencing of the anti no-deal Brexit legislation and then a general election. | |
| So, first we must come together to stop no deal. This week could be our last chance. | |
| We are working with other parties to do everything necessary to pull our country back from the brink. | |
| Then we need a general election. | |
| When a government finds itself without a majority the solution is not to undermine democracy. The solution is to let the people decide, and call a general election. | |
| This implies that the no-deal legislation would have to be passed before Labour could support an early election. | |
| But, when pressed on this point at his Q&A (see 12.04pm) and after (see 12.06pm), Corbyn did not rule out backing an early general election with no deal still on the table. | |
| This is from Sky’s Kate McCann, who was listening to the Jeremy Corbyn speech in Salford. | |
| Just grabbed Mr Corbyn at the end of the press conference and he said Labour WILL back a general election under ANY circumstances if Boris Johnson were to call one: “Of course, we are the opposition party, we want a general election” he said... sadly not on camera! | |
| We may or may not get some clarification from Corbyn’s office later as to whether or not this is the party’s official position. In the past, officials have sometimes had to “clarify” remarks that Corbyn has made unscripted to journalists. | |
| Corbyn has now finished his Q&A. Here is the main line. | |
| Corbyn rejected Tony Blair’s call for Labour to avoid backing an early general election in favour of pushing for a referendum instead. In a speech this morning Blair said an early election could favour Boris Johnson, because of Corbyn’s unpopularity. (See 10.51am.) Corbyn said Labour wanted MPs to pass legislation designed to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October, and that he wanted a general election to follow. But he would not say what he would do if the legislation failed, or if Johnson tried to call a general election before the bill became law, or if Johnson proposed an election before 31 October. For an election to take place under the Fixed-Terms Parliaments Act, Labour would almost certainly have to vote in favour, or at least abstain. In the past No 10 sources have hinted that Johnson might try to trigger a general election to take place after the UK leaves the EU on 31 October – a proposal that Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, indicated yesterday Labour would find impossible to support. But Labour would find it much harder to oppose any election scheduled for before 31 October. | |
| Q: What would you say to Labour leave supporters? | Q: What would you say to Labour leave supporters? |
| Corbyn says there were leave voters and remain voters at the weekend protests. People are alarmed at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. He says there were many reasons for people voting leave. But no one voted leave to lose their jobs, or to secure a sweetheart deal favouring the US. So he will fight the next election on his transformative agenda, he says. | Corbyn says there were leave voters and remain voters at the weekend protests. People are alarmed at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. He says there were many reasons for people voting leave. But no one voted leave to lose their jobs, or to secure a sweetheart deal favouring the US. So he will fight the next election on his transformative agenda, he says. |
| He says if the PM continues with his dictatorial approach, Labour will oppose him all the way. | |
| If the PM has lost the support of parliament, it is time for that government to go. | If the PM has lost the support of parliament, it is time for that government to go. |
| Q: Will Labour back Tory rebels if they propose legislation to prevent no deal? | |
| Corbyn says he has met the leaders of other opposition parties, apart from the Democratic Unionist party. He will work with them to stop a no-deal Brexit. He wrote to all MPs opposed to no deal asking them to back him. He says in another “28 hours or so” we will see what Labour is backing (ie, the text of the rebel bill). | |
| Q: Would you back a general election if it meant the UK might leave the EU without a deal on 31 October? | |
| Corbyn, who took all three questions in one go (as he usually does at press conferences), did not specifically address this question when he answered. | Corbyn, who took all three questions in one go (as he usually does at press conferences), did not specifically address this question when he answered. |
| Corbyn is now taking questions. | Corbyn is now taking questions. |
| Q: If there were a second referendum, would Labour back a Labour leave option? | Q: If there were a second referendum, would Labour back a Labour leave option? |
| Q: Tony Blair says you should block a general election. But it sounds like you want one. Would you back one at any time? | Q: Tony Blair says you should block a general election. But it sounds like you want one. Would you back one at any time? |
| Corbyn says he will do everything possible to stop a no-deal Brexit. | Corbyn says he will do everything possible to stop a no-deal Brexit. |
| A vote of no confidence is still on the table. | A vote of no confidence is still on the table. |
| It is not an either/or, he says. | It is not an either/or, he says. |
| He says he wants a general election. Labour would propose a referendum, with remain one option, and another decided by parliament. | He says he wants a general election. Labour would propose a referendum, with remain one option, and another decided by parliament. |
| Corbyn says MPs must come together to stop a no-deal Brexit. He says Labour is working with other parties to achieve that. | Corbyn says MPs must come together to stop a no-deal Brexit. He says Labour is working with other parties to achieve that. |
| After that, there must be a general election, he says. | After that, there must be a general election, he says. |
| He says a general election is the democratic way forward. | He says a general election is the democratic way forward. |
| Corbyn says he wants general election after legislation blocking no-deal gets passed. | Corbyn says he wants general election after legislation blocking no-deal gets passed. |
| Corbyn says Labour will end austerity and invest in all regions of the country. | Corbyn says Labour will end austerity and invest in all regions of the country. |
| Corbyn says when services like a library, or a Sure Start centre, close, that “saps the spirit from the area”. | Corbyn says when services like a library, or a Sure Start centre, close, that “saps the spirit from the area”. |
| Councillors go through horrors trying to work out how they can protect services, given the extent of government cuts, he says. | Councillors go through horrors trying to work out how they can protect services, given the extent of government cuts, he says. |
| Corbyn says Labour will have a green industrial revolution, by retrofitting houses, thereby creating jobs and saving energy at the same time. | Corbyn says Labour will have a green industrial revolution, by retrofitting houses, thereby creating jobs and saving energy at the same time. |
| Corbyn says the north needs a full Crossrail service. It should no longer be held back by poor transport infrastructure, he says. | Corbyn says the north needs a full Crossrail service. It should no longer be held back by poor transport infrastructure, he says. |
| Corbyn says Labour has a serious plan to get the economy working in every region of the country. It includes a £250bn national transformation fund that will be based outside London, he says. | Corbyn says Labour has a serious plan to get the economy working in every region of the country. It includes a £250bn national transformation fund that will be based outside London, he says. |
| He says Boris Johnson has announced a £3.6bn towns fund. Labour’s national transformation fund is 70 times bigger, he says. | He says Boris Johnson has announced a £3.6bn towns fund. Labour’s national transformation fund is 70 times bigger, he says. |
| He also says Labour will use regional banks to devolve economic power. | He also says Labour will use regional banks to devolve economic power. |
| He says for years politicians have argued that the economy is beyond economic control. That is an idea that favours the super-rich. But it is not true. Through democracy, you can change in whose interests the economy works, he says. | He says for years politicians have argued that the economy is beyond economic control. That is an idea that favours the super-rich. But it is not true. Through democracy, you can change in whose interests the economy works, he says. |
| He says Labour will extend workplace democracy. | He says Labour will extend workplace democracy. |
| Corbyn is listing various sectors of the economy that would be hammered by a no-deal Brexit. | Corbyn is listing various sectors of the economy that would be hammered by a no-deal Brexit. |
| He says the Tories favour those who lend and speculate over those who make things. | He says the Tories favour those who lend and speculate over those who make things. |
| That is why hedge fund managers are “calling the shots” under Boris Johnson. | That is why hedge fund managers are “calling the shots” under Boris Johnson. |
| Corbyn says, with the lenders and speculators in charge, wealth and opportunity are not shared. We have the worst regional inequality in Europe, he says. | Corbyn says, with the lenders and speculators in charge, wealth and opportunity are not shared. We have the worst regional inequality in Europe, he says. |
| Corbyn says the food industry says a no-deal Brexit will lead to food shortages. The government denies this, he says. But who do you trust? he asks. Those who work in the industry? Or Boris Johnson, who has never worked in the industry. | Corbyn says the food industry says a no-deal Brexit will lead to food shortages. The government denies this, he says. But who do you trust? he asks. Those who work in the industry? Or Boris Johnson, who has never worked in the industry. |
| Corbyn says a no-deal Brexit would be a Trump-deal Brexit. | Corbyn says a no-deal Brexit would be a Trump-deal Brexit. |
| A no-deal Brexit is really a Trump-deal Brexit, leading to a one-sided US trade deal that will put us at the mercy of Donald Trump and the big American corporations. | A no-deal Brexit is really a Trump-deal Brexit, leading to a one-sided US trade deal that will put us at the mercy of Donald Trump and the big American corporations. |
| The pally enthusiasm of the US president for Britain’s new prime minister only underlines that in Boris Johnson Trump has found a compliant British leader who will dance to his tune. | The pally enthusiasm of the US president for Britain’s new prime minister only underlines that in Boris Johnson Trump has found a compliant British leader who will dance to his tune. |
| Corbyn says he is not willing to accept this. | Corbyn says he is not willing to accept this. |
| Corbyn says the demonstrations at the weekend showed people will not accept Boris Johnson trying to close down parliament. He says the government is being run by a “phoney populist cabal”. | Corbyn says the demonstrations at the weekend showed people will not accept Boris Johnson trying to close down parliament. He says the government is being run by a “phoney populist cabal”. |
| Labour would never ignore parliament in this manner, he says. | Labour would never ignore parliament in this manner, he says. |
| Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now. He starts by praising Rebecca Long-Bailey as a “brilliant” MP. | Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now. He starts by praising Rebecca Long-Bailey as a “brilliant” MP. |
| (It is widely assumed she is the Corbynites’ favoured candidate for next Labour leader.) | (It is widely assumed she is the Corbynites’ favoured candidate for next Labour leader.) |
| Corbyn says the shadow cabinet will today be finalising its plans for avoiding a no-deal Brexit. | Corbyn says the shadow cabinet will today be finalising its plans for avoiding a no-deal Brexit. |
| He says where he is speaking is not far from the site of the Peterloo massacre. We should never forget that people died in the struggle for democracy, he says. | He says where he is speaking is not far from the site of the Peterloo massacre. We should never forget that people died in the struggle for democracy, he says. |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary and MP for Salford and Eccles, is now introducing Jeremy Corbyn at the Labour event. | Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary and MP for Salford and Eccles, is now introducing Jeremy Corbyn at the Labour event. |