Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Breaking news Britain's Labour leader candidates clash over Europe

Britain's Labour leader candidates clash over Europe

03 September 2015, 21:27 CET
— filed under: , ,

(LONDON) - Candidates to head Britain's Labour party clashed over how to approach a referendum on membership of the European Union on Thursday, in the final debate to decide who should be the country's new opposition leader.

The surprise frontrunner in the contest, anti-austerity candidate Jeremy Corbyn, has been criticised for being unclear on whether he would definitely support Britain's remaining in the EU.

Labour is in a battle to redefine itself after the party, then led by Ed Miliband, lost to Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party in a May election, with the new leader due to be selected by September 12.

Asked by the debate moderator whether he considered himself a strong pro-EU candidate, Corbyn launched into criticism of the 28-member bloc.

"I'm concerned about the way the European Union is increasingly operating like a free market across Europe, tearing up the social chapter, damaging working class and working interests across Europe," Corbyn said.

"As a party we need to... ask some serious questions about how they have treated the people of Greece and other countries by their imposition of austerity measures," he added to loud applause.

The campaign has been defined by the unexpected surge of the Corbyn campaign, which propelled the 66-year from being a anti-war activist at the left-wing fringe of the Labour party to its potential leader.

Andy Burnham, a 45-year-old former minister who is in second place behind Corbyn, emphasised that Labour needed a leader who would be clear on their stance on Europe.

- Agreement on help for refugees -

"We could be a year away from a European referendum. This referendum will be the definitive moment in politics for a generation I believe," Burnham said.

"I want to lead a pro-European party from day one," he added. "It's not perfect but Labour should always make the pro-European argument and win that referendum."

The runner-up candidates took turns challenging Corbyn over his critical stance.

Yvette Cooper, a party insider who polls indicate is in third place, warned that change to Europe would not be possible if Labour was to "just stand on the sidelines and shout".

Liz Kendall, seen as the most centrist of the candidates, declared herself "the strongest pro-European candidate in this contest" and interrupted Corbyn as he criticised the EU, saying "How are you going to change it if you're out of it?"

The four candidates agreed that Britain should do more to help refugees fleeing to Europe from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Burnham said the issues of the EU and migration were "linked", saying that Britain would have a stronger hand to negotiate reforms if it did its part to help refugees, while Corbyn and Cooper indicated far more should be allowed into Britain.

Since being re-elected prime minister, Cameron has undertaken a whirlwind of diplomacy to drum up support for reforms he wants to the EU, including restricting access to British welfare for migrants from within the EU and an opt-out of a committment to ever-closer union.

Cameron has said he will campaign for Britain to remain in the union, as long as the reforms are agreed.


Document Actions