'Leaders come and go' Alistair Darling knocks Corbyn’s chance of winning general election
ALISTAIR Darling today dismissed Jeremy Corbyn’s chances of winning the general election and suggested he will not be Labour after June 8.
ALISTAIR Darling today dismissed Jeremy Corbyn’s chances of winning the general election
The former Chancellor twice refused to back Mr Corbyn
In his first intervention of the campaign, the former Chancellor twice refused to back Mr Corbyn, describing him as leader “until the general election” and added: “Leaders come and go”.
Lord Darling of Roulanish, who also lead the Better Together campaign, which won the 2014 battle to maintain the United Kingdom, also said Labour’s best prospect was to be a “sizeable opposition”.
He spoke out while campaigning in Edinburgh South with the party’s only MP, Ian Murray.
Lord Darling said: “It’s important we get the best possible result for the country - that means having a sensible sizeable opposition that can actually make a difference.”
He highlighted the achievements of Tony Blair’s Labour government, 20 years to the day since it came to power.
Alistair Darling - The Facts
Lord Darling called on voters to back Labour in the snap poll to “send Nicola Sturgeon a message that Scotland doesn’t want or need another divisive referendum”.
He is the leader right up to the general election
He also argued that politics has “skewed to the right” under the Conservatives, leaving Middle Britain - whose votes Mr Blair captured - unrepresented.
Asked if he endorsed hard-Left Mr Corbyn, Lord Darling said: “He is the leader, he is the leader right up to the general election.
vHe highlighted the achievements of Tony Blair’s Labour government
“My view is we need to get on, we’re fighting a general election campaign, you know leaders come and go.
“There’s no question he’s the leader, it’s for him to convince people in the next six weeks and voters will make of it what they will.”
Lord Darling who stepped down as MP for Edinburgh South West in 2015 also ruled out a lead role in any future pro-UK campaign.
Hitting out at SNP demands for another independence referendum he added: “We decided three years ago very clearly that we wanted to stay in the United Kingdom.
“We were told it was a once-in-a-generation choice then, and many people believed that was the case. We don’t want to reopen that.”
He always called on voters to tell the SNP that Scotland does not need another referendum
Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservative candidate for Edinburgh South West, said: “Alistair Darling is demanding people vote for Labour in this election, and yet he can’t bring himself to support his party’s candidate for Prime Minister.
“If even he can’t support his party leader, why should folk across Scotland?”
Meanwhile, the SNP named former MSP Jim Eadie as its candidate for Edinburgh South, where Mr Murray is defending a majority of 2,637.