Corbyn election win ‘would threaten the security of Britain’
Leading military and security experts join forces to warn of the UK being frozen out by allies
BRITAIN’S relationships with its allies would be damaged under a government led by Jeremy Corbyn, according to military and security figures.
A letter to The Sunday Telegraph written by Col Tim Collins, the Iraq war veteran – and signed by senior politicians and other former highranking officers – states that Britain would be “frozen out of important security alliances” if there is a Labour victory on Dec 12.
They also warn the UK would “not be trusted” to receive “vital intelligence” from allies, leading to “significant and far-reaching” consequences for Britain’s security.
The signatories believe that without that trust Britain will “almost certainly” be frozen out of the Five Eyes anglophone intelligence alliance that also includes the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The letter is signed by 10 senior figures including Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary, Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Sir John Jenkins, ex-ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
They note Mr Corbyn’s history of “direct and indirect relationships” with terrorist organisations, such as Hizbollah and Hamas, and claim the Labour
Party’s current foreign and security position is “totally contrary” to that of Britain’s allies. The letter states: “We would therefore not be trusted to receive the vital intelligence provided to us by our allies that helps us keep our people safe and supports our role in maintaining world peace.”
It also states that Mr Corbyn has brought an “anachronistic” approach to Britain’s global role that “threatens the continuity of our membership of international security alliances”, including Nato.
It comes as prominent
Ukrainian businessman Alexander Temerko, who was granted political asylum in the UK, attacked Mr Corbyn’s “nonsense” nationalisation plans.
Mr Temerko was a shareholder in oil firm Yukos, before Vladimir Putin’s government seized control of the company. The Tory donor said he now faced the “threat of being robbed for a second time” by a Labour government.
However, Mr Temerko, who is now the director of AQUIND power company, said he had “faith” that British people will reject Mr Corbyn’s “appalling” vision.
Donald Trump, the US president, has already been urged to consider withholding sensitive information from Mr Corbyn if he becomes prime minister, with a report warning the UK would “cease to become a reliable partner” under his leadership.
The analysis by a Washington DC think tank suggested the Labour leader could pass intelligence to Russia and Iran, and even pushed for Britain’s Nato membership to be “downgraded” if he entered No10.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn has consistently made the right calls in the interests of peace and security at home and abroad.
“Labour will put human rights, international law and tackling climate change at the heart of our international policies, and use our global influence to end the ‘bomb first, talk later’ approach to security. Labour will always do what is needed to protect the security of people in the UK.”