London: Britain’s opposition Labour Party will campaign to stay in the European Union no matter what the circumstances, the party’s new foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn said on Monday, potentially putting him at odds with his new leader.
The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader has raised fears among some pro-EU campaigners that he could scupper hopes of getting Labour voters to support staying in the bloc at a referendum due by the end of 2017.
Corbyn, who voted ‘No’ to Britain’s membership of the forerunner to the European Union in a 1975 referendum, has been ambiguous about his views, saying he wants to wait to see what reforms Prime Minister Cameron can achieve.
“Whatever differences we may have with some aspects of European policy, whatever reforms we want to see, we will stay to fight together for a better Europe. It is absolutely clear our policy has not changed,” Benn told BBC radio.
“We will be campaigning to remain in the European Union.” When asked whether Labour would campaign to stay in under all circumstances, Benn said: “Under all circumstances.” Britain’s allies say leaving the world’s biggest trading bloc would be foolhardy, exposing London’s financial powerhouse to EU rules it would no longer influence and torpedoing Britain’s remaining global clout.
Corbyn has criticised EU leaders for failing to protect workers’ rights, opposed the bloc’s planned trade pact with the United States and accused the EU of allowing financiers to destroy Greece’s economy.
He has said he wants to see greater social solidarity across Europe and has highlighted protecting worker’s rights as a key area where he believes more needs to be done.
During the leadership campaign he said that if Cameron failed to deliver such reforms, the party would have to have a discussion about its position, possibly at a special conference.
Benn did not say whether the new leadership had discussed the issue of Europe since Saturday’s election, but a senior Labour Party aide said that Corbyn had reappointed Benn to the foreign affairs job knowing he backed staying in the EU.
The aide said the Corbyn’s appointment of Benn, 61, showed the new leader wanted a broad section of opinion among his ministers in waiting, known as the shadow cabinet.
Such an emphatic pledge of support for EU membership by Benn does indicate a range of views on Europe among Corbyn’s allies.
It is unclear who will the ultimate say on Labour’s EU policy.
Labour initially resisted Cameron’s plans for a referendum but after losing the May 7 general election, it said it supports the vote and will for campaign for Britain to stay in.
Labour divisions over other issues have already emerged.
Deputy leader Tom Watson, who was elected in a separate vote on Saturday, has said he and Corbyn disagree over key defence policies such as Britain’s membership of Nato, and such issues “have got to be worked out”.
Watson also said he would vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum which is expected to be held in 2016.
“I will be a ‘Yes’ to Europe definitely and I hope we can convince the sceptics in the Labour Party that is where Labour needs to be in the referendum,” he said.
Benn’s comments appeared to be at odds with those of the party’s former business spokesman, Chuka Umunna, who on Sunday cited Corbyn’s views on Europe as one of the key reasons the pair had agreed he would not serve in the new leader’s top team.
“It is my view that we should support the UK remaining a member of the EU, notwithstanding the outcome of any renegotiation by the Prime Minister,” Umunna said in a statement.
“I cannot envisage any circumstances where I would be campaigning alongside those who would argue for us to leave, Jeremy has made it clear to me that he does not wholeheartedly share this view.”
