JEREMY Corbyn has said that a vote against Brexit would protect workers' rights in all parts of the EU as he called on Scots to show their "solidarity with people across the continent” in next week's In-Out referendum.
The Labour leader, speaking during a visit to Scotland, accepted that the European Union was not perfect and said that it should be more accountable and democratic.
However, Corbyn said voting to Remain a member would protect "paid holiday, the anti-discrimination legislation, the maternity leave, the paternity leave and particularly environmental protection".
Corbyn also appealed to Scots to put thoughts of a possible second independence referendum to one side when deciding if the UK should remain part of Europe, as he set out what he said was a social justice case for EU membership.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have repeatedly warned a Brexit on June 23 could trigger another vote on independence if Scotland was outvoted by rest of the UK and pulled out of the EU against its will.
Opinion polls north of the border have shown a consistent lead for the Remain campaign, while the most recent UK poll put the Leave camp 10 points ahead, with the backing for Brexit at 55%.
Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major warned last week that a vote to quit the EU could “tear apart the UK”.
Corbyn, who was campaigning in Aberdeen and Dundee yesterday (Sat) conceded that the ex-Conservative leader “may be right”.
The Labour leader accepted “the SNP would want to promote another referendum” in such a scenario, but stressed: “I think we should not get into that debate at the present time, the important thing is to decide how you are going to vote on June 23.”
He stated: “I hope people will vote for what they want on June 23, and decide whether they wish to be part of the European Union or not on the basis of solidarity with people across the continent.”
Corbyn’s visit to Scotland comes amid concern from parts of the party that their leader has been only lukewarm in his backing for Remain, and that support for Leave among traditional Labour voters could be decisive in the referendum.
He said: “I don’t think the European Union is perfect, nobody does.”
However, Corbyn added: “I do think the working time directives, the employment rights that have been achieved by trade unions across Europe and enshrined in European law are very important.”
A vote to stay in the UK is “not an endorsement of every bureaucratic excess of the European Union”, Corbyn said, claiming what is important is “a principle about working with people across national borders”.
Corbyn also said that with young people providing a “counter momentum” to the apparent rise in support for the Leave campaign, David Cameron had made a mistake in not allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote – as they did in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum
“I supported votes at 16 and do, it’s the policy of the Labour Party to lower the voting age to 16 for all elections,” Corbyn stated.
“It was achieved in the Scottish referendum and that was right and I think it should be extended. It was a mistake, it was a decision he (David Cameron) made, I wish he had made a different decision and Conservative MPs had not voted down our votes at 16 amendment.”
He added: “Large numbers of young people have registered to vote, young people are more likely to want to vote to remain because they enjoy the free movement across Europe if they choose to study and travel. Older people tend to be more sceptical, I think that’s disappointing, but it’s not universal.”
Meanwhile, Corbyn said he was “disappointed” with the result of an Aberdeen University study, which suggested 92% of fishermen in the UK will back a leave vote.
He accepted there had been “a lot of arguments over the Common Fisheries Policy over the years”, but the Labour leader insisted: “To leave the European Union won’t solve the problems of the fishing industry. What will solve the problems of the fishing industry in the long term is an intelligent process of conservation and regeneration and protection of our oceans from pollution and discharges.”
In a warning about the consequences of a Brexit, Sweden's foreign minister warned that the UK's referendum on Europe could lead to the break-up of the EU itself.
Margot Wallstrom said that a domino effect of demands for referendums and requests for preferential terms by member states could follow.
"The spill-over effect will be unfortunately felt, deeply felt," she said. "It would be bad either way," she added.
Wallstrom said if the UK voted to leave, other countries could follow.
"That might affect other EU member states that will say: 'Well if they can leave, maybe we should also have referendums and maybe we should also leave,'" she said in an interview with BBC's This Week's World programme.
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