Corbyn to reveal ‘manifesto of hope’
JEREMY CORBYN will accuse the “bankers, billionaires and the establishment” of trying to stop a radical Labour government being elected as he reveals a manifesto for “real change”.
The Labour leader will appeal to voters by saying the policies are “fully costed”, with no tax hikes “for 95% of taxpayers”, when he sets out his party’s plans today.
Mr Corbyn is to tell supporters in Birmingham that the “manifesto of hope” for the December 12 election is full of policies “that the political establishment has blocked for a generation”.
The proposals are expected to include renationalisation plans for key utilities, following Labour’s pledge to take part of BT into public ownership to deliver free fullfibre broadband for all. It will contain promises to significantly boost NHS spending, create a £10 minimum hourly wage for all and tackle climate change.
The document will also set out Labour’s plan to get a new deal on Brexit and put it back to the people in a referendum with the option to remain within six months of taking power. “This is a manifesto of hope. A manifesto that will bring real change. A manifesto full of popular policies that the political establishment has blocked for a generation. Those policies are fully costed, with no tax increases for 95% of taxpayers,” Mr Corbyn will say.
“Over the next three weeks, the most powerful people in Britain and their supporters are going to tell you that everything in this manifesto is impossible. That it’s too much for you. Because they don’t want real change. Why would they? The system is working just fine for them. It’s rigged in their favour.
“If the bankers, billionaires and the establishment thought we represented politics as usual, that we could be bought off, that nothing was really going to change, they wouldn’t attack us so ferociously. Why bother?
“But they know we mean what we say. They know we will deliver our plans, which is why they want to stop us being elected.”
Mr Corbyn will set out Labour’s stall as being the party “on your side”, as he criticises the Tories for apparently being backed by the donations of a third of Britain’s billionaires.
“But they don’t own us. They don’t own the Labour Party. The people own the Labour Party. That’s why the billionaires attack us. That’s why the billionaire-owned media makes things up about us,” he will say. “So I accept the implacable opposition and hostility of the rich and powerful is inevitable.”
The Tories accused Mr Corbyn of trying to distract voters from Labour’s “failing campaign” and said he was refusing to mention Brexit.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is a desperate attempt to distract from Corbyn’s failing campaign and his inability to give answers to the biggest issues facing our country.”