Labour MP tells Corbyn backing of vile Venezuelan regime won’t be forgotten in angry rant
A LABOUR MP has warned Jeremy Corbyn to speak out against the horrific Venezuela regime or face being torn apart at the next election.
Labour MP: Young people will decide the next election
Former minister Frank Field said the electorate was “watching” and would punish the Labour leader if he did not make his position clear.
Mr Field said while alleged IRA links had not damaged Mr Corbyn’s reputation with young voters because they were not around during the height of the violence, they would now sit up and take note.
He said the situation in Venezuela was “desperate” as President Nicolas Maduro attempted to secure his grip on power in the face of mounting violence.
Jeremy Corbyn has remained silent as Venezuela descended into chaos in recent weeks
I think how he responds on this is crucial and I think what's going on in Venezuela is desperate
He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: “The electorate that will vote next time are already there in place and they’re watching.
“Therefore, I do think one of the worries that people may have is 'do we believe in parliamentary government or not' and therefore how this runs is totally different to what the links may or may not have been with the IRA, when most people were not born.”
He added those that would decide the next election would be monitoring the situation.
The Labour leader congratulated Nicolas Maduro when he won the presidency
Corbyn salutes former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez
Mr Field said: “I think how he responds on this is crucial and I think what's going on in Venezuela is desperate.”
Jeremy Corbyn is returning to the political front line after a summer holiday in Croatia and Mr Field said he needed to respond to the situation.
As a backbencher, Mr Corbyn hailed former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as an “inspiration to all of us fighting back against austerity and neo-liberal economics in Europe” and supported parliamentary motions linked to the country, including one which congratulated Mr Maduro on his election as president and called for closer ties with Caracas.
Mr Field suggested the Venezuela situation could have greater repercussions for Mr Corbyn among his younger supporters than the Tory attempts during the General Election campaign to highlight his links to Irish republicans.