Corbyn hits out at Lib-Dem rejection of emergency government
JEREMY Corbyn yesterday struck out at Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
During a visit to Machynlleth, the Labour leader said that “it’s not up to Jo Swinson to decide who the next prime minister is going to be” after she swiftly dismissed his proposal to force a general election as “nonsense”.
Ms Swinson is coming under increasing pressure to back Mr Corbyn’s suggestion, which includes forcing out Boris Johnson in a vote of no confidence and securing an extension to the Brexit deadline beyond October 31. But she has maintained her stance that he is not the right politician for the job, despite agreeing to meet him to discuss a no-deal prevention plan.
Yesterday, Mr Corbyn rejected her suggestion that Tory grandee Ken Clarke or senior Labour MP Harriet Harman could lead the emergency government.
Mr Corbyn said: “It’s not up to Jo Swinson to choose candidates, it’s not up to Jo Swinson to decide who the next prime minister is going to be.
“Surely she must recognise she is a leader of one of the opposition parties who are apparently opposed to this government, and apparently prepared to support a motion of no confidence. I look forward to joining her in the lobbies to vote this government down.”
Mr Corbyn said Ms Swinson should respect the “normal precedent” to allow the leader of the Opposition to form an administration
after a successful vote of no confidence in the government.
He also told politicians who were “making noise in the media” to consider supporting him in order to prevent a “damaging” no-deal Brexit.
Ms Swinson had earlier said she has spoken to her favoured candidates – the Father and Mother of the House – and won their assurances that they are ready to “put public duty first” to “stop us driving off that cliff ”.
However, Mr Corbyn’s plan has won the potential backing of Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Tory MP Guto Bebb.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ms Swinson said: “I have been in touch with them because obviously you don’t just mention people’s names without checking that they’re OK with that.
“I mean, both of those are longserving Members of Parliament, the most experienced MPs in the House, the Mother and Father of the House, as they are called in the House of Commons.”
She added: “They put public duty first, and they don’t want to see a nodeal Brexit, and if the House of Commons asks them to lead an emergency government to get our country out of this Brexit mess and to stop us driving off that cliff to a no-deal, then yes, they are prepared to do that, and I think that is to their credit.
“It doesn’t need to be them. If Jeremy Corbyn has got another suggestion of an experienced MP who has that respect across the House, let’s talk about it.”
Ms Swinson said she has “always” wanted to reach out to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to work against a nodeal Brexit.
She told the Today programme: “I’ve always said I wanted to talk to him about it and I think that dialogue is really important between anyone who wants to stop a no-deal Brexit.”
She added: “I think we have to focus on how we can actually succeed in stopping no-deal because the clock is ticking. And I think it is good to talk to other parties and I’m doing that, I’ve been doing that all summer and, obviously, just before the House of Commons rose for the recess I encouraged Jeremy Corbyn to table a vote of no confidence, which he didn’t do.”
She added: “We could pass a law to require an extension of Article 50 to have a people’s vote, or it may well be that it comes to requiring an emergency government.”
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was among those applying pressure to Ms Swinson to re-think her position.
Senior Remain-supporting Tories Dominic Grieve and Sir Oliver Letwin, as well as independent MP Nick Boles, have also agreed to meet Mr Corbyn.
But yesterday Mr Grieve signalled he would not be backing the Labour plan, instead saying he was open to working with like-minded MPs to prevent a “catastrophic” no-deal.
“In that context, I’m prepared to speak to any parliamentarian who shares that view, including the leader of the opposition. If he is against no deal, I’m happy to talk. That is very different to thinking he is an appropriate figure to lead a government,” he said, according to The Guardian.
“Jeremy Corbyn is unfortunately a deeply divisive figure and in trying to stop a no-deal Brexit it is not my purpose to help him into Downing Street.”
Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said it was “clear” Mr Corbyn could not command a majority in the Commons.
“It would be up to the House of Commons to decide who a caretaker prime minister put in place to stop a no-deal Brexit would be.
“This is not about party leaders, but getting a group together to stop no-deal.
“It is clear Jeremy Corbyn cannot command that majority in the House. I urge him to do the right thing and confirm that if he cannot, he will support someone who can.”
Tory rebel Dame Caroline Spelman and the Independent Group for Change ruled out support for any Corbyn government.
Also yesterday, a source close to Dame Caroline dismissed any chance of her meeting Mr Corbyn, despite the MP’s name appearing on a letter suggesting she is open to talks.
Elsewhere, Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said he could not see Tory grandee Ken Clarke leading an emergency government despite claims by Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson that he would be prepared to.
Mr Kwarteng said: “I’m a great fan of Ken Clarke.”
He added: “I’m 44 years old, he was an MP before I was born, he’s been around for a long time, he’s very experienced. I think it would be an odd thing for him to lead a unity
government, you know, I think he’s nearly 80.”
He added: “Frankly, I don’t think that’s likely. I think we will continue as a government. I don’t think that the Labour Party has the numbers for a no-confidence vote, and what we have to focus on is delivering Brexit on October 31.
“All of this seems to me like speculation about Ken Clarke and Harriet Harman and all these people. I don’t see them leading a government. I think we have a Prime Minister and we’ll deliver on the mandate and the referendum of 2016.”
Mr Kwarteng denied saying there was “little chance” the government would be able to negotiate a new withdrawal deal with the EU before October 31.
He told the Today programme: “I think we are quite likely to get a deal, that has always been my position.”
He added: “I think there is time to get a new deal, absolutely. I think our door is always open as the phrase is reported as saying.”
Meanwhile, Chancellor Sajid Javid became the first senior member of Mr Johnson’s government to meet an EU leader to discuss Brexit, during a trip to Berlin to see German finance minister Olaf Scholz.
Mr Scholz stressed after the meeting that “the best and only way for an orderly withdrawal is the negotiated” Brexit agreement.
Despite the deadline looming, the Prime Minister has refused to meet the bloc’s leaders for discussions on a new deal unless they agree to scrap the Irish backstop.
Mr Corbyn used the visit to Machynlleth’s Centre for Alternative Technology to condemn the UK government’s “failed approach” to tackling climate change.
And he pledged a “green industrial revolution” if he becomes prime minister.
The Labour leader said his party would create hundreds of thousands of “good green jobs” across the UK and save “millions of households” money on their energy bills.
Labour said the Westminster government’s decision to cancel an insulation programme – the Warm Front Scheme – in 2013 has cost households a total of £3.7bn on their bills.
And the party, citing analysis of House of Commons Library data, said it had cost the planet an extra 14.6 million tonnes of CO2 by 2017.
Mr Corbyn said: “The Conservative Lib-Dem decision to scrap this insulation programme has been a disaster.
“They cost millions of people hundreds of pounds and damaged our environment.
“The next Labour government will turn this failed approach on its head with a Green Industrial Revolution to tackle the climate emergency, create hundreds of thousands of good green jobs and save millions of households money on their bills.
“From the mass installation of solar panels, insulating homes, building the Swansea Tidal Lagoon, expanding solar and wind energy and bringing the National Grid into public ownership, Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution will benefit working-class people by cutting energy bills, creating good jobs in new, green industries and fighting the climate emergency.
“Social justice and climate justice are inseparable. Labour will tackle inequality and environmental destruction together.”