I'd ignore the public vote if elected, says Corbyn
JEREMY CORBYN has made it clear he would ignore the democratic will of British voters and allow free movement to continue with the EU if he became prime minister.
In a shock statement the Labour leader, who is expected to easily see off the challenge from Welsh MP Owen Smith, has insisted that Britain "needs to maintain free movement" allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to pour into the country.
The comment during the final Labour leadership campaign debate on Sky News has been seized on by the Tories who show that it is further evidence Labour has no respect for the historic referendum result on 23 June.
During the debate, Mr Corbyn was challenged on free movement.
Corbyn has rejected the referendum vote by making it clear he is opposed to the UK getting back control of immigration
He said: "I don't particularly want us to go down the road of having to have a hard border between Britain and Europe for people who wish to travel, for holidays for work, for anything else.
"And recognise also there are 2 million British people who made their homes in other parts of Europe. We need to maintain that free movement."
Former Tory cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith, a leading Brexit supporter, condemned the remarks.
He said: "Corbyn has rejected the referendum vote by making it clear he is opposed to the UK getting back control of immigration. Now he says he wants to keep freedom of movement, whilst Owen Smith wants to force the British people to have to vote again.
"The referendum result provided an overwhelming mandate to put an end to freedom of movement, Jeremy Corbyn shouldn't try to ignore it."
During his campaign Mr Smith had accused the hard left leader of "secretly" being in favour of Brexit, but Mr Corbyn's comments appear to dismiss the claim.
The Welsh self styled "moderate" candidate has also vowed to ignore the more than 17 million voters who backed Brexit and either hold a second referendum or get Britain to rejoin at any cost.
He said that he would even be willing to join the disastrous Euro currency and Schengen borderless area which has allowed terrorists to roam free across the continent.
New Prime Minister Theresa May has said that only her party "respects" the result of the referendum and has promised "Brexit means Brexit."
Smith: Corbyn not serious about beating the Tories
She has also said that "free movement as it currently exists" cannot continue and argued that the result was a verdict on uncontrolled immigration.
However, hardliners in Brussels, including Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, have tried to threaten Britain with trade tariffs if free movement is ended.
The row over Mr Corbyn's comments has come as the hard left leader admitted that he is growing an olive tree on his balcony to offer olive branches to the moderate Labour MPs who refuse to support him.
Despite supporting a hit list apparently targeting moderate Labour MPs for deselection, Mr Corbyn, who is relying on the support of extremist leftwing entryists and trade unions, said he wanted to make peace with his MPs.
Mr Smith's challenge followed more than 80 per cent of Labour MPs backing a vote of no confidence in their leader who has only been in office for a year.