JEREMY Corbyn has welcomed the key conference vote on Brexit, which supported his strategy, saying it showed Labour’s “determination to come together and get ready to fight an election”.
Ahead of attending the conference’s traditional Scots Night, the party leader talked up his party’s chances of increasing its number of MPs in Scotland, whom he referred to as the “Magnificent Seven”.
“Our chances are very, very good,” he declared, saying he was “very happy” with developments and declared: “I love being in Scotland; it’s a beautiful country.”
Asked about the crunch Brexit vote at conference, he told The Herald: “We’re the only party that offers people a choice at the end between Remain with reform or Leave with a credible trade deal and we’ve seen a party that has shown its determination to come together and get ready to fight an election. So, I thank them for that.”
Later, Mr Corbyn told Scots Night how Labour, if elected, would commit to spending £70 billion in Scotland to boost infrastructure, jobs and services.
“Our Labour Government is one that will transform the whole country because we can no longer afford the levels of inequality we have. We will deal with the injustices in the social security system and in housing and we will deal with the way in which this Tory Government treats people, democracy and Parliament, [which is] with utter contempt.”
Referring to the “strange events” in which Westminster had to pass laws to stop the Prime Minister taking Britain over a Brexit cliff-edge, the Labour leader said: “We’re in this absurd situation where we have a government that’s managed to reduce its standing in Parliament from plus one to minus 40 in six weeks, lose six votes and then we’re in court and we’ll have the result tomorrow…
“If, it’s said, he gave wrong advice and Parliament has to be recalled we will be back there doing exactly the same thing to prevent a crash-out on October 31 with all the damage it will do to jobs, to lives, to supply chains and everything else. We’re not going to allow this country to crash into the arms of Donald Trump and a sweetheart trade deal with the USA.”
He brushed aside media criticism, which he said he had endured for years, telling delegates: “If we’re so unimportant, why do they spend so much time attacking us?”
He then quipped to cheers: “Liverpool have played six, won six, lost none, drawn none. Boris Johnson has been in office six weeks, has had six votes in Parliament; Johnson nil, Parliament six. So, we will take the fight to him.”
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