Brace for a UK election next year, opposition Labour leader Corbyn says

[webfact]

Brace for a UK election next year, opposition Labour leader Corbyn says

 

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during a news conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said there is likely to be a British national election next year but that he opposes a second referendum on European Union membership, Grazia magazine reported.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May lost her Conservative Party its majority in parliament by betting on a snap election in June, weakening her hand in Brexit negotiations. Labour by contrast did well at the election, making a net gain of 30 seats in Britain's 650-seat parliament.

 

Corbyn, a lifelong socialist, who has repeatedly claimed that he will win power, said there would soon be another election.

 

"There will probably be another election in the next 12 months," he was quoted by Grazia as saying. He predicted his Labour Party would win.

 

"I’m ready to be Prime Minister tomorrow," Corbyn said.

 

Corbyn, who said he voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum but voted for membership in 2016, said he opposed former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair's proposal for another referendum on membership.

 

"Some were extremely irresponsible in what they did and said, but we have to recognise it was the largest participation of people in an electoral process ever in Britain and they chose to leave," Corbyn was quoted as saying.

 

"I think we should continue putting pressure on the government to allow a transition period to develop, because at the moment we’re in danger of getting into a complete mess in March 2019," Corbyn said, referring to the date Britain is due to leave the EU.

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-20

[RuamRudy]

I wonder is his confidence a bit misplaced. Given the absolute state of the Conservatives at the moment, the Labour Party should be soaring high above them in the polls. 

[the guest]

UK is best to have a second referendum, and this time told the truth about the pros and the cons of the EU. 

[champers]

9 minutes ago, the guest said:

UK is best to have a second referendum, and this time told the truth about the pros and the cons of the EU. 

Told the truth. Fat chance; this is politicians we are talking about.

[i claudius]

A few months ago he predicted that there would be an election before xmas. Did he mean next year?

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[Grouse]

I can't abide Corbyn or the dreadful Abbot! I do hope Vince gets ahead and holds the balance of power from the centre.?

[nauseus]

JC - another tale from the riverbank.

[dunroaming]

I think the only way there would be an election next year would be if there was a leadership challenge and I cannot think of anyone ballsy enough to take on the poisoned chalice of Brexit.  If there was an election I doubt Labour would take it but it may end up as a coalition. 

[terryw]

There can only be an Election if the Tories vote to have one, otherwise the next Election will be in 2022.

[dogpatch55]

The sooner this tory lot  are out the better!!

[dunroaming]

15 minutes ago, terryw said:

There can only be an Election if the Tories vote to have one, otherwise the next Election will be in 2022.

After a leadership challenge you would expect the new leader to call an election as May did.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, dogpatch55 said:

The sooner this tory lot  are out the better!!

 

Sadly the alternative of Comrade Corbyn and his loony left is likely worse.

 

He's already indicated he'll bend over backwards to be shafted by the EU, the Unions and makes promises as if he has unbridled wealth in the coffers. As per "old" labor it all to be funded by tax - on individuals as well as businesses. His version of Brexit and high tax Britain would screw the economy quicker than anyone else. 

 

 

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

After a leadership challenge you would expect the new leader to call an election as May did.

 

Why? Others haven't.

[Bundooman]

14 hours ago, the guest said:

UK is best to have a second referendum, and this time told the truth about the pros and the cons of the EU. 

But whose 'truth' is the real 'truth?'

[Sir Dude]

Corbyn is not fit to govern with his rabid Momentum henchmen.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

If the UK should be prepared for another election next year, then Corbyn should be prepared for another defeat.

The Tories may have lost some seats last time but the press seem to forget that Theresa May still WON the election, with a considerable majority over Labour, although short of an overall majority.

 

It is so easy to criticize her over the complicated Brexit negotiations but it is fairly obvious that none of her detractors in the Tory party is willing to take over the job.  I believe she will see the job through to the end and will come out of the negotiations with a reasonable settlement, albeit a compromise on both sides. 

[JAG]

If the UK should be prepared for another election next year, then Corbyn should be prepared for another defeat.
The Tories may have lost some seats last time but the press seem to forget that Theresa May still WON the election, with a considerable majority over Labour, although short of an overall majority.
 
It is so easy to criticize her over the complicated Brexit negotiations but it is fairly obvious that none of her detractors in the Tory party is willing to take over the job.  I believe she will see the job through to the end and will come out of the negotiations with a reasonable settlement, albeit a compromise on both sides. 

But, no,no, no! Baron John"Mouth of the Humber" Prescott declared that Labour had really won. It's true - it was on The Andrew Married show....

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[Sir Dude]

Labour sure did their best and they even had thousands of students voting twice too. 

[Ricardo]

Unless and until Corbyn declares that he will now go into a coalition with the SNP after all, the numbers are simply against him, I don't see how he can overcome that problem and the 2017-election showed Labour as coming-in a clear Second.

 

I am very suspicious of his tax-and-spend economic-agenda, it all plays very well to his keen young supporters, but it would IMO be a disaster for the country as-a-whole.  Do the millenials remember the old days like I do, the 3-day-week or the miners'-strike or how badly-run the nationalised-industries were, do they even remember the semi-conservative New Labour days of Tony Blair, how he & Mr 'prudent' Brown blew a shed-load of money ?

 

And his fudge over the EU continues, he voted to Remain but didn't campaign very hard for it & his Labour-voters wanted out, he now supports what the people voted-for (by a tiny margin) in the Referendum because it was their democratic will, but won't give them a second say in another full Referendum, only the MPs deserve to get to tell us what will happen.  And that's his view of democracy, it has its limits.

 

And he's doing his best to distract & screw-up the negotiations, perhaps that is his duty as Leader of the Opposition, but in 20-years or 50-years time will he really be seen to have been helpful or constructive ?  This is the single most-important change for the UK in decades, but his eye is off-the-ball on domestic-issues, and for purely-domestic political reasons.

 

I hope Teresa May can hang on, and get us through to a reasonable exit-deal, before her government falls apart  ...  but I'm not confident that she will.

Edited December 23, 2017 by Ricardo

[nausea]

The British poitical system is based upon one bunch of morons keeping another bunch of morons in check; so I'm glad the opposition is strong.