CORBYN: LABOUR ON THRESHOLD OF UK POWER
JEREMY Corbyn will declare that Labour is now a “Government in waiting” when he takes the stage of the Brighton conference.
The Labour leader will use his time in the limelight to try to convince the country that his party is “ready” to take the reins of power.
He will renew his commitment to “do politics differently” and pledge to put “power in the hands of the people”.
Under Labour, he will say, rapid technological change can be managed so a “new settlement between work and leisure” will be possible.
Mr Corbyn will celebrate the party’s much stronger than predicted performance in the June election, stating it has seen “the largest increase in the Labour vote since 1945” and the “best vote for a generation”.
He will say: “It’s a result which has put the Tories on notice and Labour on the threshold of power.”
Pointing to the Grenfell Tower disaster as to why Labour must “replace” the present political system, he will say: “The disregard for rampant inequality, the hollowing out of our public services, the disdain for the powerless and the poor have made our society more brutal and less caring.
“Now that graded regime has a tragic monument – the chilling wreckage of Grenfell Tower, a horrifying fire in which dozens perished, an entirely avoidable human disaster...
“Grenfell is not just the result of bad political decisions. It stands for a failed and broken system, which Labour must and will replace.”
Mr Corbyn has resisted internal calls to commit to backing Britain staying in the single market but he will accuse the Conservatives of “bungling” Brexit.
He will say: “The Tories are more interested in posturing for personal advantage than in getting the best deal for Britain. Never has the national interest been so ill-served on such a vital issue. If there were no other reason for the Tories to go, their selfinterested Brexit bungling would be reason enough.
“So I have a simple message to the cabinet: for Britain’s sake pull yourself together or make way.”
On the June election, he will admit the party “didn’t do quite well enough”, but he will say: “[We] remain in opposition for now. But we have become a government-in-waiting.
“And our message to the country could not be clearer: Labour is ready.
“Ready to tackle inequality. Ready to rebuild our NHS. Ready to give opportunity to young people, dignity and security to older people. Ready to invest in our economy and meet the challenges of climate change and automation. Ready to put peace and justice at the heart of foreign policy. And ready to build a new and progressive relationship with Europe. “We are ready for government.” On the economy, he will warn of the impact of a new wave of robotic technology, saying: “We need urgently to face the challenge of automation; robotics that could make so much of contemporary work redundant. That is a threat in the hands of the greedy, but what an opportunity if it’s managed in the interests of society as a whole.
“But if planned and managed properly, accelerated technological change can be the gateway for a new settlement between work and leisure, a springboard for expanded creativity and culture, making technology our servant and not our master at long last.
“The tide of automation and technological change means training and management of the workforce must be centre stage in the coming years.”
Turning to foreign policy, he will call on Aung San Suu Kyi to “end the violence” in Myanmar, stating: “I say this today to Aung San Suu Kyi, a champi-
on of democracy and human rights, end the violence now against the Rohingya in Myanmar and allow the UN and international aid agencies into Rakhine state. The Rohingya have suffered for too long.”
And on North Korea, he will urge UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to go to Washington and Pyongyang to kick-start that process of dialogue.
Mr Corbyn will assure his supporters he is still committed to a new type of politics.
He will say: “I promised you two years ago that we would do politics differently. It’s not always been easy.
“There’s quite a few who prefer politics the old way. But let me say it again.
“We will do politics differently. And the vital word there is ‘we’.”
Stating that he wants “everyone” to have the “chance to shape our democracy”, he will say: “Our rights as citizens are as important as our rights as consumers. Power will be devolved to the community, not monopolised in Westminster and Whitehall.
“Now let’s take it a stage further: make public services accountable to communities, business accountable to the public and politicians accountable to those we serve... Let the next Labour government transform Britain by genuinely placing power in the hands of the people – the creative, compassionate and committed people of our country.”