UK Labour leader Corbyn: I won't quit if I lose election

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UK Labour leader Corbyn: I won't quit if I lose election

REUTERS

 

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party speaks during a campaign stop in Worcester, May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Darren Staples

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party which is currently languishing behind the ruling Conservatives in opinion polls, says he will not quit as leader if he loses a national election next month.

 

Corbyn, who is due to officially launch his party's election campaign on Tuesday, told BuzzFeed News he would carry on whatever the outcome of the June 8 poll despite surveys predicting Labour heading for its worst results in decades.

 

"I was elected leader of this party and I'll stay leader of this party," Corbyn told BuzzFeed on Monday.

 

Some recent opinion polls have put Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives ahead of Labour by more than 20 percentage points and was on course for a landslide victory, a result which May says will strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations.

 

Pollster ICM said on Monday that the Conservative Party's lead was the biggest on record on record for any British election survey it had conducted and commentators, including some senior Labour figures, say Corbyn is to blame for the party's growing unpopularity.

 

Corbyn, a socialist who has pledged higher taxes on the wealthy and a crackdown on powerful corporations, fought off a challenge to his leadership last September, only a year after he was first elected to the position with many of his own lawmakers doubting his appeal to the wider electorate.

 

"I'm serious about winning the election," Corbyn told BuzzFeed. "I know what I believe in, I know what I do. I never respond to personal abuse of me, because I'd rather get my policies across. By not responding it forces the other side to engage with the policy debate."

 

At his campaign launch on Tuesday, Corbyn will say Labour can transform Britain from a country rigged in favour of the rich and powerful to a place where people can lead richer lives.

 

Having faced criticism for being unclear on Britain's divorce from the European Union, he will also say the issue of Brexit has been settled.

 

"Labour wants a jobs-first Brexit, a Brexit that safeguards the future of Britain's vital industries, a Brexit that paves the way to a genuinely fairer society and an upgraded economy," he will say according to a statement released by his office.

 

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-09

[daveAustin]

Quote

"I'm serious about winning the election," Corbyn told BuzzFeed. "I know what I believe in, I know what I do. I never respond to personal abuse of me, because I'd rather get my policies across. By not responding it forces the other side to engage with the policy debate."

Out of touch and deluded. 

 

I won't quit if I lose election

 

There's only one thing for it then, Jer, you'll have to hang yourself  .Then again, the UK is better off if you keep on keeping on because Labour will never get in to cause mayhem again while you're at the helm. Carry on. 

[Grouse]

Selfish Barsteward

 

 

[robcar]

I agree with daveAustin but I think the following has a bearing on it too......... £74,962 MP’s salary as well as the £36,045 in income from three separate pensions. 

Mr Corbyn is entitled to an extra £39,272 a year as leader of the opposition on top of the basic MP salary.

 

I wish I could have a serious talk with my old school careers advisor.

[KarenBravo]

He is so stupid that he can't see that HE himself and his yearning to turn the clock back to the 1970's, is the reason that the Tories have a 20 point lead.

 

When Labour lose, there will be a vote of no confidence and he will be out on his arse.

[colinneil]

Corbyn wont quit if he loses the election!!!!!

Corbyn will be kicked out after he loses the election.

Nobody in their right mind would vote for him.

Edited May 9, 2017 by colinneil

[Grouse]

52 minutes ago, robcar said:

I agree with daveAustin but I think the following has a bearing on it too......... £74,962 MP’s salary as well as the £36,045 in income from three separate pensions. 

Mr Corbyn is entitled to an extra £39,272 a year as leader of the opposition on top of the basic MP salary.

 

I wish I could have a serious talk with my old school careers advisor.

Sorry to upset you but thats not great money these days

 

 

 

[robcar]

You're not upsetting me in the slightest. Just a tad more than I get with my UK pension though.

[Morch]

14 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Sorry to upset you but thats not great money these days

 

 

 

 

But also not much actual work.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

He is so stupid that he can't see that HE himself and his yearning to turn the clock back to the 1970's, is the reason that the Tories have a 20 point lead.

 

When Labour lose, there will be a vote of no confidence and he will be out on his arse.

Isn't the Labour party leader now chosen in elections by members of the party and some affiliated others?

[bartender100]

He should have said "when I lose the election"

[Grouse]

31 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

But also not much actual work.

I think you'll find that as you go up the ladder, the physical work reduces but the demands on intellect increase exponentially ?

[Morch]

1 minute ago, Grouse said:

I think you'll find that as you go up the ladder, the physical work reduces but the demands on intellect increase exponentially ?

 

Umm....politicians, intellect....nope, don't see the immediate connection there. Sorry.

[RuamRudy]

Corbyn proves that leadership is more about wile than about principles. His own lack of cunning and his poorly perfoming inner circle have allowed his name to be continuously traduced, very often unfairly, by almost every newspaper in the country for the past few years. Of course, that these newspapers are, in the main, owned by a small clique of massively rich rightwing brexiteers, they are not going to allow any damned socialist to infect the proles with critical thinking and self awareness, when their goal of a pliant and fearful workforce bound by right wing isolationism is just around the corner. They already fooled a slim majority to vote for the isolationism bit. Now they just need to get TM back into No 10 and their dream is complete.

[samsensam]

 

if?

 

it is bizarre, everyone, other opposition parties included, are talking not about a tory victory but the size of the victory. only Corbyn and his clique take the contrary view. are they in denial, living in a dream world/alternative universe or just daft? could you imagine Corbyn negotiating with Europe, he can't even keep his own party together. he's a disaster.

[Orton Rd]

if he quits this idiot would probably take over, shadow home secretary and former girlfriend, the amazingly stupid Dianne Abbott. Idiocracy come to life,

 

 

[Basil B]

Why should he resign...

 

Labour has about as much chance of winning the Snap Election as the Pop making Osama bin Laden a Saint or Diane Abbott passing the 11+

 

So how can he lose an Election that was lost the day he was elected leader of the Labour Party...

[anon4546543]

A sad left wing socialist. Lost touch many years ago. A good bloke maybe, but not a tough politician. Not willing to accept back handers, not willing to compromise, not willing to sell his soul. He will never be a good politician, never mind the leader of a party.

[BWPattaya]

Jeremy Corbyn: Theresa May's greatest asset

 

[pitrevie]

7 hours ago, Basil B said:

Why should he resign...

 

Labour has about as much chance of winning the Snap Election as the Pop making Osama bin Laden a Saint or Diane Abbott passing the 11+

 

So how can he lose an Election that was lost the day he was elected leader of the Labour Party...

I don't like the woman but I think she has gone past the 11+ having got to Cambridge University. Apart from that I agree with you.

[i claudius]

41 minutes ago, pitrevie said:

I don't like the woman but I think she has gone past the 11+ having got to Cambridge University. Apart from that I agree with you.

Just goes to show even someone as stupid as her can get into Cambridge , (if you tick the right boxes)

[RuamRudy]

6 hours ago, spiderorchid said:

A sad left wing socialist. Lost touch many years ago. A good bloke maybe, but not a tough politician. Not willing to accept back handers, not willing to compromise, not willing to sell his soul. He will never be a good politician, never mind the leader of a party.

I am a little confused by your post. Is he sad because he has left wing views or because he isn't corrupt? Surely we should be encouraging people of principle to lead our country rather than the endless torrent of corrupt politicians we endure? There are precious few politicians who care one jot about you as an individual, and not a single tory amongst them, yet we look set to hand the Tories complete control yet again, allowing for another 5 years of death and misery at the bottom, and unlimited champaigne and cocaine at the top.

[Mosha]

if he quits this idiot would probably take over, shadow home secretary and former girlfriend, the amazingly stupid Dianne Abbott. Idiocracy come to life,
 
 

I'd call that a win win. They'd be in even deeper poop.

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[Mosha]

A sad left wing socialist. Lost touch many years ago. A good bloke maybe, but not a tough politician. Not willing to accept back handers, not willing to compromise, not willing to sell his soul. He will never be a good politician, never mind the leader of a party.

It's not just him, it's the party membership. Totally out of touch with what really matters to the working class voter.

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[thaibeachlovers]

Spoken like a true politician. Never, ever, willingly give up the trappings of power, and certainly never, ever, on principle.

[Mosha]

I don't like the woman but I think she has gone past the 11+ having got to Cambridge University. Apart from that I agree with you.

Obviously not studying basic maths.

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[humqdpf]

The problem is that anyone can show up to apply and pay for Labour party membership and vote in the leadership contest. And what many suspect has happened is that the system has been gamed - extreme left-wingers and those who are plotting the downfall of the Labour party have joined up in their hundreds of thousands and will always vote for the Corbyn because they know that with him in place the Labour Party will never get into power. 

 

As a result, Labour as a political entity is falling apart and completely losing its way. What is truly astonishing is that former Labour voters seem more willing to vote for UKIP and the Conservative Party than for Liberal Democrats - the latter would appear to be closer ideologically to Labour than any of the other parties. This upcoming election will be very revealing - while Labour will not be knocked off the number 2 slot (in part because of tactical voting by Liberal Democrats and the demise of UKIP), they will most likely hit an all time low.

[JAG]

A sad left wing socialist. Lost touch many years ago. A good bloke maybe, but not a tough politician. Not willing to accept back handers, not willing to compromise, not willing to sell his soul. He will never be a good politician, never mind the leader of a party.

Not to mention an enthusiastic supporter of and apologist for IRA terrorism.

[pitrevie]

22 minutes ago, Mosha said:

Obviously not studying basic maths.

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As chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne has faced many a tough question relating to figures but that did not stop him dodging a simple multiplication put to him by a seven-year-old. Sam Raddings asked Osborne what seven times eight equals but the chancellor refused to answer.

“I’ve made it a rule in life not to answer a load of maths questions,” he said. 

No just basic arithmetic George. 

[pitrevie]

2 minutes ago, JAG said:

 

Not to mention an enthusiastic supporter of and apologist for IRA terrorism.

 

Oh but we have had far worse than that, we even had people who were outspoken supporters of Adolph Hitler. Perhaps if you had a word with HM she would tell you all about him.