May warns honours holders who prove unworthy
THE CONSERVATIVES have launched a furious onslaught on Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of “siding with Britain’s enemies” amid signs Labour is gaining ground in the opinion polls.
The Labour leader came under fire following a television interview in which he faced repeated questions over whether he condemned the IRA.
Mr Corbyn – who attended rallies and protests organised by the Republican-backed Troops Out Movement in the 1980s – said he condemned “all bombing” but had been trying to open up a peace process.
His comments were angrily denounced by Security Minister Ben Wallace who said voters would be “outraged” by his refusal to “unequivocally” condemn the IRA.
However, Ministers also found themselves forced onto the defensive over Conservative plans to overhaul funding of social care which would for the first time see thousands of elderly people required to pay for the cost of being looked after in their own homes.
Mr Corbyn’s comments came during an interview with Sky News’s programme in which he defended his contacts with Republicans in the midst of the IRA bombing campaign.
“In the 1980s Britain was looking for a military solution in Ireland. It clearly was never going to work. Ask anyone in the British Army at that time,” he said. “Therefore you have to seek a peace process. You condemn the violence of those that laid bombs that killed large numbers of innocent people and I do.”
Pressed as to whether he would “condemn the IRA” Mr Corbyn replied: “No, I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned and you have to bring about a peace process.”
Mr Wallace, who served as an Army officer in Northern Ireland, 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 two weeks’ time.
“We want a Prime Minister, not a leader of a protest movement who has opposed nearly every measure to keep this country safe in the last 30 years.”
The row erupted as four opinion polls for the Sunday newspapers put Labour between 35 per cent and 33 per cent, up significantly on the scores as low as 26 per cent it was recording early in the campaign.
The Tory advantage was narrowed to just nine points in one survey by YouGov for the
– the first time it has been in single figures in a mainstream poll since Theresa May called the snap election on April 18 – prompting talk of a “wobble weekend” for the Conservatives.
Ministers said the findings would focus voters’ minds on the prospect that Mr Corbyn could be leading the Brexit talks, due to start less than two weeks after election day, underlining the nature of the choice facing the electorate.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Mr Corbyn “hasn’t got a clue” whether he wants Britain to remain in the single market or the customs union and that EU negotiators would “have him for breakfast”.
Mr Johnson said: “We are at a critical phase in the history of this country. We have to get Brexit right.
“I am genuinely alarmed by the idea that it could be handled in just 11 days after the election by Jeremy Corbyn.” A CONSERVATIVE government elected on June 8 would review whether action could be taken against recipients of honours who fail to meet standards of integrity, Theresa May has claimed.
The Prime Minister’s comments come after widespread criticism of business tycoon Sir Philip Green and banker Sir Fred Goodwin, and are likely to prompt speculation that changes could be introduced to make it easier to strip controversial figures of their gongs. Speaking to the
Mrs May suggested that she would also like to see more recognition in the honours system for the everyday heroes of local communities.
“We see sportsmen and celebrities who make great contributions to our national life and to the standing of the United Kingdom,” Mrs May said.
“We also see people who work really hard in their local community, perhaps on a voluntary basis, making a real difference to people’s lives.
“We want to make sure that contributions are properly recognised.”
And she added: “What we’ve seen, sadly, is a limited number of instances where the public would feel that someone has been given an honour and then perhaps not met the standards of integrity that they would expect.
“I think we just need to look at what should be done.”
During the interview, Mrs May also indicated that she wanted Britain’s share in the European Investment Bank and other assets to be taken into account when calculating the size of any Brexit divorce bill.
Whitehall insiders are understood to believe that assets of this kind could substantially reduce a bill estimated by Brussels to be as much as E100bn (£86bn).
Mrs May said the UK’s “rights and obligations” in terms of money being paid in the past will form an important part of the negotiations.