Get on board! Corbyn’s message to Tory rebels
A SMIRKING Jeremy Corbyn yesterday urged Remainer MPs and Tory rebels to ‘get on board’ and help him seize the keys to No 10.
The Labour leader vowed to do ‘everything necessary’ to stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and called for MPs to back his attempts to topple Boris Johnson.
Mr Corbyn was cheered by activists as he said: ‘If you’re serious about stopping a No Deal Brexit, then back my motion of no confidence to stop this Government taking us over a cliff edge.’
But amid chaotic scenes after his speech at a children’s centre in Corby, Northamptonshire, he was forced to intervene when journalists were heckled by the audience.
There were shouts of ‘shame’ from supporters when Mr Corbyn was asked whether he would step aside for another PM if he didn’t have the support to lead a caretaker administration. Before he could answer, several people in the audience cried: ‘No!’
Mr Corbyn smiled and said: ‘Let Andy ask his question. He’s a nice fella, it’s all right.’ But one heckler yelled: ‘What a disgrace.’ Another shouted from the back: ‘He is our leader, not the Press, not Boris Johnson, or Jo Swanson! (sic).’
Another reporter was shouted at as he asked whether Mr Corbyn had enough crossparty support from MPs, and an ITV reporter was booed for asking why he felt some people in his own party didn’t want him to lead a government of national unity. Mr Corbyn tried to intervene, telling journalists: ‘I am defending your right to speak here.’
When asked if he would accept a different prime minister if a no confidence vote succeeded, Mr Corbyn said: ‘I am the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Labour Party. All the constitutional precedents are, when a government collapses, it’s the Leader of the Opposition that takes over.’
He said there was a lot of ‘very imaginative what-iffery’ over who could take the role.
Mr Corbyn also called for MPs to have their holidays cancelled so they can come back and sort out Brexit.
He said: ‘Do we support the recall of Parliament? Yes indeed, I have made that very clear. We do support the recall of Parliament.We will do everything we can to stop a No Deal Brexit.’
His speech came after a cross-party group of more than 100 MPs urged Boris Johnson to recall Parliament and let it sit permanently until the UK leaves the EU.
Earlier in the day, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell also backed the calls, telling the BBC: ‘I think it’s a good initiative to say we need to get back into Parliament.
‘We are facing a critical issue here and we should be debating it in Parliament.’
But Downing Street slapped down Labour’s call to cut short the MPs’ break. A spokesman said: ‘The House of Commons agreed the date of the rise for the summer recess as well as its return on September 3.’
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