New Labour Party leader rules out campaign for Britain to leave EU

Newly elected leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has ruled out supporting Prime Minister David Cameron’s bid to leave the European Union.

Corbyn clarified his position on Europe during interviews that followed his first parliamentary debate with Cameron on Wednesday.

During the debate in the Commons, the left-wing politician grilled the premier on hosts of political and social issues including Europe, welfare policies and Northern Ireland. While slamming the government’s new tax credit law, Corbyn indirectly accused Cameron of ignoring the needs of ordinary people.

In an interview with BBC, Corbyn said while policy is developing, Labour is unlikely to campaign for a "Brexit" under his leadership.

Corbyn did not detail the circumstances in which he would campaign against the UK exit from the EU. He said he is opposed to is the idea Cameron could compromise on workers’ rights and environmental rights. “I think we are going to be working with trade unions and social groups all across Europe as well as social groups in this country”.

“We are having discussions to sort this question out I want to see a socially coherent Europe and not a free market Europe. That is a developing position. It is not a problem there will be very clear statements coming out in the very near future”, he said.

 

"Although Corbyn personally against Britain’s leave the EU, I think he has accepted that it’s not in Britain’s interest to leave but it will certainly cause division in his party. So for that reason, they would have to maintain the idea that the UK needs to be an active member of the EU. I don’t think the trade unions are going to make too much difference,”  Keith Pilbeam, a Professor of Economics in London told Press TV. 

Cameron has pledged to hold a referendum in 2017 on whether to stay in the EU. Cameron has vowed to renegotiate London's relationship with Brussels and then go to the electorate, saying he wants Britain to remain in a reformed EU. His demands have however put him at odds with many European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Corbyn has come under growing pressure from Labour MPs to clarify his position. Former Labour leader, Ed Miliband was also in favor of Britain to remain in the 28-nation bloc Corbyn’s policy has been, however, less clear for his party colleagues. While expressing his opposition to Cameron’s approach, Corbyn looked different on the post-Maastricht Europe.

“Europe has an interesting twin track up until Maastricht, signed in 1992; there was a growth in the social Europe. Post-Maastricht, it has been a free market approach. I want to see something different”, he said.

Corbyn landslide victory in the vote for the Labour party leadership was largely attributed to trade unions and the middle class.

The GMB union disclosed it would be tabling a motion to the upcoming Labour conference that calls for the party to campaign to leave the EU if Cameron negotiates a watering down of any workers’ rights in the UK. The motion is likely heat up debate between the pro-European and more Eurosceptic wings of the party. There’s a speculation that the issue of Europe would lead to further resignations from the frontbench, or even resignations of the party whip.

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