LABOUR leader Corbyn, appearing on the Sophy Ridge show on Sunday yesterday, was asked: ‘Can you guarantee that you’ll call a confidence motion before we leave the EU in October?’
Corbyn replied: ‘I can guarantee you this; we’ll do everything to avoid a no-deal exit, we’ll do everything to challenge this government and we’ll do it at the time of our choosing.’
Ridge said: ‘Let’s talk about Brexit shall we? When that election comes Brexit will be of utmost importance to many people, including people here in Mansfield, which voted 70% to leave the EU.
‘They now want to know what your policy is on Brexit. So what is it, are you now supporting a second referendum in all circumstances?’
Corbyn replied: ‘What we’re saying is “No deal we will oppose” and we think people should have a final choice on it. We can have a vote then between remain or whatever option Boris Johnson decides to put to them at that time.’
Ridge asked: ‘Does Labour now back a second referendum in all circumstances?’
Corbyn replied cryptically: ‘What I would say is a second referendum to make a choice between whatever deal is arranged and what the public want.’
Ridge persisted: ‘Including a Labour deal if you are in power?’
Corbyn replied: ‘Well, if we are in power, yes, of course the same thing would apply, because I want to make sure that we get to the end of this process, where we have a fixed position in this country.’
Ridge asked: ‘So, if you do want to see a second referendum in all circumstances, how are you going to campaign in that? You remind us that you have been campaigning all your life. Are you going to campaign for leave or are you going to be campaigning for remain?’
Corbyn replied: ‘What we’ve said is, in the event of a no-deal Brexit we’ll campaign to remain.’
Ridge came back with: ‘But what if Labour negotiates a deal?’
Corbyn replied: ‘Well, we’ve got to get in office first to negotiate a deal. And we’ve got to win the election first. And if we win the election then we’ll reopen those talks with the European Union. But at the moment the danger is a no-deal exit on 31st October with all the problems that that brings.’
Ridge persisted: ‘I understand that you are opposed to no-deal, but where my head starts to hurt slightly is I’m still struggling to see exactly what is in Jeremy Corbyn’s heart when it comes to Brexit. Do you want to stay in the EU or do you want to leave?’
Corbyn replied: ‘Investment, jobs, trade and equality. Both in or out of the EU.’
He went on: ‘My issue is also uniting people in the country. My party is the only one that has significant numbers of people who voted both remain and leave in the referendum. My party represents significant numbers of people all over the country. We want to bring people together.’
