Don’t think tactically, back Labour – ‘Mr Zen’

JEREMY Corbyn declared himself “Monsieur Zen” as he called on swing voters to get behind Labour rather than think tactically.

The Labour leader claimed he “never gets angry” although is left feeling “slightly irritated” by lectures about the Lib Dems given their record in government.

Mr Corbyn made the remarks as he campaigned in Oxford, where he visited a play park in Rose Hill.

He gently pushed the swings for Freddie and Isabella, the children of his party’s Oxford East parliamentary candidate – MEP Anneliese Dodds.

“We never had swings when I was a kid,” Mr Corbyn joked before standing back to allow Freddie’s father to give him a bigger push.

Mr Corbyn later met activists elsewhere in the city and was handed red roses.

Asked by one supporter what to say to people thinking of voting tactically at next month’s General Election, Mr Corbyn replied: “The Lib Dems went into coalition with the Conservatives in 2010, voted in the Health and Social Care Act, voted for the cuts in the Department for Work and Pensions budget, voted in student fee increases.

“So I really get – I never do abuse, I never get angry, I’m Monsieur Zen on these matters – but it does make me slightly irritated when I get lectures about the Lib Dems.

“We know what they did when they had a chance to do something different.”

One campaigner told Mr Corbyn: “I’m from Oxford West and Abingdon and we’ve been canvassing for the last few weeks hard and fast.

“We get told at the doorstep constantly, ‘We’re going to be voting tactically in this election’, meaning of course they’re either going to be voting Lib Dem or vote Conservative.

“What would your response be to them?”

The woman welcomed Mr Corbyn’s response and cheered as he finished with a message to “vote Labour”.

The Conservatives are seeking to hold Oxford West and Abingdon, amid pressure from the Lib Dems over Brexit.

Mr Corbyn met his party’s supporters as council and mayoral elections took place across the country.

He spoke about funding for the NHS and schools, among other issues.

After spotting an activist with a Unite logo on their jacket, Mr Corbyn referenced union general secretary Len McCluskey as he joked: “I saw Len this morning, by the way, he looked well.”