As pro-EU voters cheer at Glastonbury, Corbyn blasted for 'ambiguous' rhetoric on EU exit
BREXIT could be worse for Jeremy Corbyn than for Theresa May as the veteran politician faces alienating the majority of his supporters, he has been warned.
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn seem to have the same Brexit stance
The Labour leader officially campaigned on the Remain side ahead of the June 23 referendum last year as the UK looked to vote on remaining in the European Union.
Huge crowds of young pro-EU voters at the recent Glastonbury festival cheered the Labour leader’s name following his surge in support in the June 8 election.
But many of his supporters could be in for a shock if they thought Labour would soften the Brexit blow as Mr Corbyn is renowned for being a left-wing Eurosceptic.
Maajid Nawaz reveals that Corbyn has been a lifelong Brexiteer
Jeremy Corbyn voters screamed their leaders' name at Glastonbury and at rallies
One of the most important issues facing the UK over the next few years, the Brexit debate has divided the public - and the parties.
While critical of the government’s stance on the EU exit, Jeremy Corbyn still decided to order his MPs to back the Article 50 bill in Parliament, issuing a three-line whip on the vote.
And it doesn’t seem his position has changed since, and has stuck to his commitment to drag the UK from the Brussels bloc and the single market.
Jeremy Corbyn is renowned for being a left-wing Eurosceptic
The more clear Brexit becomes, the more clear Corbyn’s position becomes. Potentially it’s going to be more difficult for him than Theresa May
Although a policy also being adopted by the Tories, the move could have a dipterous impact for the Labour leader - where a majority of his party are against an EU exit.
Steve Fielding, who teaches politics at the University of Nottingham, said: “He’s ambiguous, he’s not an enthusiast for the EU and never has been.
“The more clear Brexit becomes, the more clear Corbyn’s position becomes. Potentially it’s going to be more difficult for him than Theresa May.”
Theresa May says Corbyn would get TERRIBLE Brexit deal
But he also seems to be trying to become more ambiguous about his opinions and reluctant to engage in debate on the issue.
In a visit to the coastal town St Leonards on Sea, Mr Corbyn spoke at length for 25 minutes to supporters - but made just 38 seconds of his comments about Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Promising a free trade deal with the EU, he said: “We recognise the result of the referendum but I’m determined we have an intelligent partnership relationship with Europe.”
Jeremy Corbyn has amassed a huge cult following
Theresa May is also pushing for hard Brexit
The concerns come after Express.co.uk warned Mr Corbyn could roll back on his assurance Labour would push on with Brexit if it formed a government.
Political analyst and Britain in Europe founder Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos warned the General Election result could have changed everything, as he believes the Tories have now lost a "credible" mandate following their election disaster to push for hard Brexit.
He said: “Since the referendum they had been between a rock and a hard place, with most of their supporters voting for Brexit while the party had historically been pro-European.
“But the electorate’s rejection of May’s hard Brexit meant that they could now more easily pursue a closer collaboration with Europe and a more moderate approach to leaving the EU.”