Corbyn dubs Farage a “one-trick pony” in appeal to Labour Leavers

Jeremy Corbyn launched an attack on Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage today, calling him a “one-trick pony from a very wealthy organisation” at a campaign event in the Leave-voting seat of Harlow.

Following a major speech on Brexit, the Labour leader was asked about Farage targeting Labour Leave votes in the upcoming election and what Labour could do to reassure people in Leave-voting seats.

“Nigel Farage is going to various parts of the country saying all kinds of things,” Corbyn replied. “He is not offering to defend the NHS in those places; indeed, he has form in arguing for the privatisation of our NHS.

“He is not offering housing, social justice, reducing inequality in this country or meeting the needs of people who depend on food banks just to survive because we live in poverty Britain. He doesn’t actually offer anything to any of those communities.”

On whether he would look for a coalition with the Lib Dems in the event that the election returned a hung parliament, Corbyn reiterated: “We’re campaigning to win this election with a majority Labour government.

“We are not campaigning to go into coalition with anyone – we’re campaigning to go into office to carry out our manifesto and that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing over the next five weeks over this election campaign.”

At the Liberal Democrat campaign launch in London this morning, Jo Swinson “absolutely, categorically” ruled out any vote that would put Corbyn into 10 Downing Street.

Commenting on that pledge, Labour frontbencher Dawn Butler said: “Jo Swinson has let the cat out of the bag. Vote Liberal Democrat, get Boris Johnson selling out our NHS to Donald Trump and blocking any chance of a final-say referendum.”