May ‘showing contempt for the public’ with debates refusal
Labour’s Welsh campaign chairman Wayne David MP tells Political Editor David Williamson there will be no secret deals ahead of the General Election...
LABOUR have accused Theresa May of “going into hiding” as the General Election campaign reaches the end of its second week.
Jeremy Corbyn said the Prime Minister’s refusal to participate in TV debates or meet members of the public on the campaign trail was “a sign of weakness”.
Mrs May has put “strong and stable leadership” at the heart of her campaign, repeating the slogan as she ventured into constituencies deep in traditional Labour territory like Leeds East, Bridgend and Bolton North East.
But the Labour leader said she was appearing only at “staged” events in front of party activists, while he was attending public events and meeting ordinary voters.
Speaking at Labour’s HQ, Mr Corbyn said: “Theresa May is hiding from the public; she won’t take part in TV debates and she won’t talk to voters.
“Refusing to debate Labour in this election isn’t a sign of strength, it’s a sign of weakness.
“In showing contempt for the public in this way the Prime Minister is showing that it’s Labour that stands up for the many, while she speaks only for the few.
“What is she afraid of? Voters deserve to know what political parties are offering.”
Mr Corbyn’s assault came as Mrs May took a day off from campaigning to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at her country residence, Chequers.
Labour’s attack came as a poll suggested a majority of voters want TV debates featuring the leaders of all the main parties.
Conservatives have said Mrs May does not intend to take part in any televised showdowns with her rivals, though she may take questions from studio audiences.
And Labour has indicated Mr Corbyn would only take part in a debate if Mrs May was also involved.
Research for the Electoral Reform Society found 56% of voters, rising to 71% among 18- 24-year-olds, regard TV debates as important in helping them decide how to cast their ballots.
And almost half (46%) think all major party leaders should commit to take part, against just 23% who said there was no need for them to.
A majority of Conservative supporters (52%) agreed the debates are important, but Tory voters were split over whether leaders should commit to taking part, with 37% saying they should against 38% who disagreed.
Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “These figures show voters now see TV debates as ‘part of the furniture’ of a General Election.
“That’s particularly the case for younger voters, meaning it’s therefore crucial for youth engagement that they take place.
“With both Conservatives and Labour voters agreeing TV debates are important, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn should now both commit to taking part.
“It would be a travesty for the debates to be cancelled simply because one side decided to torpedo this now-crucial part of 21st-century politics.”
A Conservative source said: “This election is a clear choice: the strong and stable leadership from Theresa May, or a coalition of chaos led by Jeremy Corbyn.
“Every time Jeremy Corbyn speaks he shows a vote for him would bring the chaos of higher taxes, more waste and a weakening of our national defences. It’s a risk the country and our economy can’t afford to take.”
Pollsters BMG Research questioned 1,499 adults between April 21 and 24.
WELSH Labour’s campaign chairman has ruled out doing deals with anti-Tory parties in a bid to stop the Conservatives making history by winning the most seats in Wales for the first time since the 1850s.
A YouGov poll published this week signalled Labour is in danger of losing 10 seats to the Conservatives and being pushed into second place in Wales.
But Caerphilly MP Wayne David, who will chair the Welsh campaign, stamped on the idea that Labour could co-operate with the Liberal Democrats to help them take back their former stronghold of Brecon and Radnorshire, which was won by the Conservatives in 2015.
The constituency’s Lib Dem AM, Kirsty Williams, is Education Secretary in the Labour-led Welsh Government but Mr David ruled out any pacts with rival parties.
He said: “It is very, very difficult to co-operate with a party which propped up and participated in a Government which was profoundly right-wing as the Liberal Democrats have done. I think any pacts, alliances are off the table.
“This is not being considered because Labour is fighting this election in Wales as Welsh Labour and we are hoping to have success on that basis – not through shady pacts and backdoor deals with other political parties.”
Mr David resigned from the Labour frontbench last year and urged Jeremy Corbyn to stand down as Labour leader, stating: “Given that we are likely to see a General Election in the near future, it is now clear that under your leadership the prospects for Labour are not good.”
However, Mr David – who returned to the frontbench last year as a Shadow Defence Minister – is adamant that Wales will be better off under a UK Government led by Mr Corbyn than under Theresa May.
He said: “This election is a choice between Labour or the Conservatives. I think it’s important to look at the track record of Conservativism in Wales and what it will do in the future if it is successful.
“That is the critical question. Although some people may have strong reservations about Jeremy Corbyn, at the end of the day he stands on Labour values and in my view it’s far better to have a Labour Government led by Jeremy than [an] extremely anti-Welsh, anti-working people Government led by Theresa May. “And that’s the crucial choice.” Labour plans to fight a “distinctly Welsh campaign” led by Bridgend AM and First Minister Carwyn Jones.
The YouGov poll which put the Conservatives on 40% and Labour on 30% sent shockwaves through Wales and beyond.
Mr David said: “No-one doubts this will be a hard campaign. In many ways it will be a difficult campaign.”
But he said Labour’s campaign was “only just getting up and running” and it would fight with “vitality and energy”.
He said: “The key struggle is between Labour and the Conservatives. The key choice people have to make is whether or not they want to see a Conservative Government continuing which will in our view take the country backwards.”
Labour will revive its 2011 election slogan: “Standing Up For Wales.”
A key battle will be keeping hold of Anglesey where incumbent Labour MP Albert Owen will face a challenge from former AM and MP and ex-Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones.
Mr David said: “Many of the messages as well as the personnel that Plaid Cymru are putting forward are voices from the past... I don’t think that is the way to enthuse people and convince them Plaid’s got ideas for the future.
“Separation, independence, cutting the country off from the rest of Britain was and still is a recipe for disaster.
“That’s a sideshow in this election campaign. I hope to goodness people won’t be persuaded to go for that message because it increases the chance of the re-election of a Conservative Government which most Plaid Cymru supporters surely would not want to see.
“My message to Plaid Cymru supporters is that if you care for Wales vote Labour.”
Ukip has sought to make inroads in traditional Labour heartlands but Mr David insisted his party could be trusted on Brexit.
He said: “All the objective evidence is that Ukip are imploding but [the] message we want to get across is that Britain is leaving the European Union. Welsh Labour respects that view.
“The key question is: On what terms do we leave? We want to make sure that the process does not mean that Wales becomes more disadvantaged... That’s why it’s important I think not to support Theresa May and give her a blank cheque.”
There will be celebrations in Welsh Labour circles on June 8 if the party can win back Gower and the Vale of Clwyd, which it lost to the Conservatives in 2015.
He said: “We’ll be fighting very, very hard in all those seats. I think it’s important we recognise that although you can’t ignore opinion polls there’s a great of volatility amongst the electorate as well.”
A key objective will be ensuring that Jo Stevens is once again returned as MP for Cardiff Central. The Lib Dems, who lost the seat in 2015, are expected to fight to win the support of pro-EU voters.
Mr David said: “We’ll be fighting very, very hard in Cardiff Central. I don’t think that the Liberal Democrats are in a position to be able to forcefully say they are going to win any seats at all in the election campaign.
“The party is still suffering from the fact it propped up the Tory Government under Cameron and people have got long memories and they won’t forget that many of the problems [in] Wales are in part the consequence of the collaboration of the Lib Dems and the Tories.”
Although some people may have strong reservations about Jeremy Corbyn, at the end of the day he stands on Labour values and in my view it’s far better to have a Labour Government led by Jeremy than [an] extremely anti-Welsh, anti-working people Government led by Theresa May