Corbyn engulfed in IRA furore
Labour leader refuses to condemn group as links to hard-left magazine are exposed
By Kate Mccann Senior Political correspondent
JEREMY CORBYN’S links to the IRA were at the centre of a growing row last night after he repeatedly refused to condemn the actions of republican terrorists.
The Labour leader was asked five times to denounce the IRA yesterday but chose instead to state his opposition to “all bombing”.
When asked if he could unequivocally condemn the IRA, Mr Corbyn said: “No, I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned.”
It can also be revealed that Mr Corbyn was heavily involved with London Labour Briefing – a hard-left magazine that celebrated the IRA Brighton bombing and joked about the deaths of Conservative MPS.
Evidence emerged yesterday that Mr Corbyn was involved in the magazine, which praised the bomb designed to kill Margaret Thatcher in an article that read: “The British only sit up and take notice [of Ireland] when they are bombed into it,” and, “What do you call four dead Tories? A start.”
On Saturday The Daily Telegraph revealed that MI5 had opened a file on Mr Corbyn amid concern over his links to the IRA.
Yesterday, his refusal to distance himself from the terror group, coupled with the revelation that he was linked to London Labour Briefing, drew criticism from veterans, rivals and Labour candidates who fear it will distract from the party’s message to voters. Alan Barry, the co-founder of Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans, called the Labour leader an “odious individual”, while the security minister Ben Wallace, who saw service in the country, said Mr Corbyn “has spent a lifetime siding with Britain’s enemies”.
Mr Barry said: “Jeremy Corbyn claims he invited IRA members to the House of Commons because he was trying to put peace together, but he has never once condemned the atrocities that the IRA has committed.
“He should quite clearly state that he has no links or alliance to the provisional IRA, that his loyalties lie with the men and women of this country who went to Northern Ireland and fought terrorism.
Mr Wallace said: “People up and down the country will rightly be outraged that Jeremy Corbyn won’t unequivocally condemn the IRA for the bloodshed, bombs and brutal murders they inflicted on a generation of innocent people.
“Jeremy Corbyn has spent a lifetime siding with Britain’s enemies, but he and his extreme views could be leading our country and representing it abroad – negotiating with 27 EU countries in just over 2 weeks’ time.”
A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “Jeremy campaigned for peace in Northern Ireland.
“He has unequivocally condemned all violence by the IRA, and by those on all sides of the Troubles. Lasting
security comes from peace through negotiated agreements. Jeremy worked tirelessly to bring about that peace in Northern Ireland through dialogue, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement.”
The row over Mr Corbyn’s links with the IRA began with Saturday’s Telegraph revelations and was reignited yesterday during a Sky News interview. Asked to condemn the group “unequivocally” he replied: “Look, bombing is wrong, of course all bombing is wrong, of course I condemn it.”
Sophy Ridge, the presenter, replied: “You are condemning all bombing but can you condemn the IRA without equating it to...?” This prompted Mr Corbyn to add: “No, I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned and you have to bring about a peace process.” Later, Mr Corbyn’s connection to the magazine emerged. He has denied being closely involved with the publication. A clipping from an edition of the magazine published in 1983 states Mr Corbyn runs the “mailing list” and calls on readers to become “briefing supporters” and pay a yearly subscription to receive his mail-out.
Another extract from the magazine included a picture of Mr Corbyn giving the keynote speech at a meeting of the London Labour Briefing at the party’s annual conference and another shows he was part of a slate of candidates for elections to the regional executive alongside John Mcdonnell.
A book published by journalist Michael Crick, newspaper clippings from The Times and The Ham and High newspapers also cite Mr Corbyn as a “representative” for the magazine and as a member of its editorial board.
This claim has been denied by the former editor of the magazine Graham Bash. Asked about his links to the group, Mr Corbyn said: “I read the magazine, I wrote for the magazine but I was not a member of the editorial board.”
Labour candidates expressed frustration that the party is forced to focus on Mr Corbyn’s record on the IRA rather than opposition to Conservative pledges which go down well on the doorstep. One said: “We’ve already priced in the despair about this, it’s not a great surprise.”