Britain’s Labour faces divisions over new leader Corbyn
LONDON: Britain’s opposition Labour Party must unite behind new leader Jeremy Corbyn, his deputy said yesterday as he revealed his own differences with his new boss over issues such as defence and foreign policy.
Left-wing veteran Corbyn won the support of 59.5 percent of members and supporters but he has far less backing among Labour parliamentarians, with several saying the party cannot win the next election in 2020 if it lurches left.
“I understand the concern of my colleagues in parliament; this is a huge change for the party, there is no point in denying this is a huge political realignment too, but Jeremy Corbyn has a huge mandate from our members,” Tom Watson, who was elected deputy leader on Saturday, told the BBC.
Watson said there was “zero chance” of a coup against Corbyn but acknowledged that there were differences to overcome on policy, which he said could be put to the vote of Labour members.
At odds with the existing Labour position, anti-war campaigner Corbyn opposes the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear-armed submarine programme and has advocated withdrawing from the Nato military alliance.
Watson, who backs the renewal of Trident, also said he would support Britain staying in the EU at a referendum due by the end of 2017.
The rise of Corbyn, who voted “No” to Europe in a 1975 referendum and has been ambiguous about how he plans to campaign in the upcoming vote, has raised fears among some British pro-Europeans that he will scupper the hopes of drawing out millions of Labour voters in support of the EU.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives have quickly sought to play on Corbyn’s foreign policy views, saying he is a risk to Britain’s security. Cameron highlighted his past meetings with Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah – something Corbyn has defended in the interest of gathering a wide range of views.
“Unlike Corbyn, the mainstream Labour Party does not believe in ducking our international responsibilities, it would never offer succour to terrorist groups,” Labour parliamentarian John Mann wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
Mann said if Labour achieved success at local and regional elections in May next year under Corbyn he would have earned the right to lead the party into the 2020 election.
“But if he fails to do that, my party must act,” he wrote.
A poll for the Daily Mail carried out after Saturday’s result found 44 percent of the 1 031 people surveyed believed Cameron would make the best prime minister, compared to 27 percent for Corbyn. Asked whether Labour would lose the next two national elections, 39 percent said yes and 22 percent no. – Reuters