Corbyn’s speech calling for a ‘radical Brexit’ is met with SILENCE by business leaders as he blasts PM’s ‘botched deal’ and snubs his own party’s call for a second referendum
- Corbyn made a pro-Brexit speech to the CBI conference in London today
- Labour leader said done properly a Brexit deal could revolutionise the economy
- His speech risks infuriating his party which mostly wants to cancel Brexit
- Corbyn has been under growing pressure to back a second EU referendum
Jeremy Corbyn today called for a ‘radical’ Brexit to transform Britain’s economy – but his words were met with stony silence from the 1,500 business leaders in the room.
The Labour leader also risked infuriating his Remainer MPs by playing down the prospect of another Brexit referendum.
Mr Corbyn – a lifelong socialist who has spent his political career attacking big business – was given a distinctly cool reception as he addressed the CBI conference this morning.
He lashed Theresa May for ‘botching’ the negotiations and called on her to stand aside and let Labour avoid a ‘no deal’.
Mr Corbyn – who appeared to don new Michael Caine-style glasses for the speech – insists Britain needs a new election to install him in Downing Street to build his own Brexit deal.
But he has played down the chance of a second referendum despite the pleas of his party to get behind the idea as a way to stop Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the CBI conference in London today) insisted tonight that a ‘good Brexit’ deal could transform the economy
Mr Corbyn said that ‘business as usual isn’t working’ and they should back the changes needed to create a fairer society.
‘To meet the greatest challenges facing our country today, we shouldn’t fear change, we should embrace it,’ he told the assembled captains of industry.
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‘Deep-seated change is needed to avoid a damaging Brexit that will hurt enterprise, jobs and living standards, and instead use it as a catalyst for economic transformation.
‘Change is needed to prevent the destruction of our environment that endangers all of our futures.
‘And change is needed to tackle the huge inequality that has distorted the economy and disfigured our society.’
Mr Corbyn – who appeared to don new Michael Caine-style glasses for the speech (pictured) – insists Britain needs a new election to install him in Downing Street to build his own Brexit deal
Mr Corbyn said: ‘A good Brexit plan for this country is not just about what can be negotiated with Brussels, it must also include a radical programme of investment and real change across our regions and nations.
‘In 2016 the country voted to leave the EU against the economic backdrop of post-crash Britain: a million families using food banks, over four million children living in poverty and real wages that are lower today than they were in 2010.
‘Wealth hasn’t trickled down. Instead, rigid and outdated economic thinking has helped create a situation where 20% of Britain’s wealth is in the hands of just 1% of the population.’
He called for workers to be given a stronger say in the running of companies and a higher level of public investment in infrastructure, education, skills and new technologies.
And he said the largest firms ‘will pay a bit more towards the common good’.
Mr Corbyn has blasted the PM’s divorce package since it was unveiled last week – saying it will make Britain poorer and not guarantee workers rights.
But he admitted that he has not read all of the Brexit divorce bill – which runs to over 500 pages.
And he also said Labour could back another referendum – dubbed a People’s Vote – despite last week saying Brexit cannot be stopped.
It comes just a day after his trusted lieutenant John McDonnell admitted another referendum is now more likely than a General Election.
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