Theresa May “opted for silence and subservience” when she should have stood up to Trump – Corbyn

Theresa May is guilty of a “dereliction of her duty both to our country and to our planet” by not condemning Donald Trump’s pulling the US out of the Paris climate change agreement, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

Corbyn has slammed May’s decision not to put her name on a joint statement from European leaders condemning President Trump, suggesting that it shows a lack of leadership.

At the beginning of a speech in York to unveil Labour’s plans to create a million real living wage jobs, Corbyn questioned how her decision impacts on her ability to negotiate Brexit.

He said: “Before going further, I’d like to say a few words about leadership. Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate change deal is reckless and dangerous.”

“The commitments made in Paris are vital to stop the world reaching the point of no return on climate change, and there can be no question of watering them down.”

“The Paris deal should not be up for renegotiation. The other three European members of the G7, France, Germany and Italy, have written to Donald Trump to make this clear.”

“So why does Theresa May not have her name on this joint statement? Given the chance to present a united front with our international partners, she has instead opted for silence and subservience to Donald Trump. It is a dereliction of her duty both to our country and to our planet.”

“That is not the type of leadership Britain needs to negotiate Brexit.”

Yesterday evening, Corbyn tweeted this with an image of May and Trump’s hand holding from when she visited him earlier in the year:

Pulling out of the #ParisClimateDeal is reckless and regressive. Instead of handholding, I’ll work for a sustainable future for our planet. pic.twitter.com/ONKUMZQmzm

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 1, 2017