Tories aim to win with apathy and low turnout – Jeremy Corbyn speech

Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn will use a speech in east London on Saturday to warn that a “Brexit for the few is now brewing”. He is expected to say:

This general election, more than any I have previously fought, will define our times. Make no mistake, a Brexit for the few is now brewing.

One where any money saved is handed out as tax cuts to the super-rich and their corporations. Where new trade deals with the US and elsewhere are used to drive down our working conditions, and environmental and food standards.

He will accuse the Tories of being in hock to their donors:

Do you think personal prospects of the Conservatives’ friends and backers will suffer following the kind of Brexit they want to see? Do you think their lives will get harder as wages slide and jobs become even less secure?

Unlikely, I think you’ll agree. And that’s because the Conservatives’ backers can afford to opt out when things go wrong. They’ve been doing it for decades. In truth, they always have a get out of jail free card while this government is at the controls.

And he is expected to step up the call for young people to register to vote:

So I have a message for you all today: unless you too have a get out jail free card, it’s time to step up. And when I say step up, I mean register to vote and claim your future – do so by 22 May.

Over 2.4 million young people are missing from the UK’s electoral register. Barely 40 per cent of 18 to 24-year olds turn out to vote. The Conservatives are more than happy with this state of affairs. Apathy and resignation will secure them seats on election day.

It’s not that our young people don’t have the energy and talent to succeed. Our country is full of potential. But something hangs on peoples’ lips – though it typically goes unspoken. It’s the unheard story of why so many of us are scaling back our hopes and dreams in favour of just getting by. It’s the reason why this country is unable to unleash its potential. Because as families, communities – entire regions – we are all being held back.

Don’t let the Conservatives hold you back. Don’t let the Conservatives Hold Britain Back. Quite simply, only the Labour Party can deliver a Britain for the many, not the few.

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