Far-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his fear that a no-deal Brexit would be a “Trump-deal Brexit”.
Writing in the Independent on Tuesday, Mr Corbyn said “our prime minister is cosying up to Trump because a no-deal Brexit is really a Trump-deal Brexit”.
He then claimed that being released from the control of the European Union and its trade rules — which President Donald Trump has described as “shackles” around the UK — “won’t return sovereignty”, but would rather put Britons “at the mercy” of the United States and “the big US corporations dying to get their teeth into our NHS”– despite President Trump clarifying during his state visit in June that the British National Health Service would not be “on the table” in trade negotiations, saying “that’s something that I would not consider part of trade. That’s not trade.”
Mr Corbyn also raised the spectre of chlorinated chicken and lower animal welfare standards in the food chain should the UK sign a free trade deal with the U.S. — claims dismissed earlier this year by the U.S. ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson as scare stories likely “designed” by Brussels to “reduce trade” between the two countries post-Brexit.
The Labour leader’s comments follow a successful meeting between President Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the G7 summit last weekend in Biarritz, France, where Mr Johnson said he and his American counterpart were “very excited” to discuss future trading relations.
The President also extolled the virtues of the Leave-supporting prime minister, saying that he was “the right man” to deliver Brexit.
While Mr Johnson was developing the already-strong relationship with the United States, he stood firm and drew a line in the sand with the EU — which was represented at the G7 by President of the European Council Donald Tusk — over his determination to take the UK out of the bloc by October 31st, with or without a Brussels exit deal.
Johnson is also considering proroguing (suspending) parliament in the autumn to ensure that Brexit is delivered — amidst plots by Remainer MPs to stop a no-deal — with a senior official telling The Telegraph: “The Prime Minister has been repeatedly clear that parliamentarians and politicians don’t get to choose which public votes they respect.”
The remarks were directed at the likes of Mr Corbyn, who recently called on his Commons colleagues to install him as a caretaker prime minister to stop no-deal Brexit.
Asked about the socialist becoming interim premier, Mr Johnson said that one of his missions in life was to “protect the people of this country from the appalling consequences of a Labour government” which he worries would result in a rise on taxes “on virtually everything from income to pensions to inheritance to property”.
“Not only would he [Jeremy Corbyn] align himself with some of this country’s most intractable and difficult foes, but he would also renege, reject, revoke the mandate of the people. And I cannot think of anything worse for democracy or for trust in politics and I very much hope that does not happen,” Mr Johnson added.
Corbyn doubled down on his objection to a clean Brexit in his Independent article, writing that his party “will do everything necessary to stop a no-deal bankers’ Brexit”. Mr Corbyn is set to meet with leaders of the other opposition parties on Tuesday to find a way to stop the UK making a clean break from the EU.
The Labour leader has said that if he wins a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Johnson, he will force a delay to Brexit, call a snap election, and in the event of a Labour government, has pledged to hold a second referendum on leaving the EU.
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