‘The far-right loves Corbyn’: Remainers attack Labour leader for outlining ‘benefits of Brexit’
Despite decades of campaigning against them, Jeremy Corbyn is facing accusations from Remainers of being in bed with the far-right. The claim was made against the Labour leader after he gave a speech on the “benefits of Brexit.”
Setting out his vision for a post-Brexit Britain, Corbyn called for public contracts to be given to British companies while attacking the government for failing exporters following the referendum. The policies were criticized for being protectionist, even though similar policies exist in France and Germany.
A passage of the speech was picked up and paraphrased by the Leave.eu Twitter feed.
Jeremy Corbyn is set to deliver some rare words of common sense today, hailing the more competitive currency created by the Brexit vote. The pro-EU cabal in Labour will be furious - be careful Jeremy, your Euroscepticism is showing! 👏Support us at https://t.co/ntwXbJeHQwpic.twitter.com/H408uBkvON
— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) July 24, 2018
Leave.eu’s extract of Corbyn’s speech was accused of being misleading because it cut out sections where the Labour Leader attacks US President Donald Trump and Tory austerity.
You've left out bits to make him appear xenophobic like you lot. You should write what he actually said. This fbpe cult are having a field day spreading misinformation! #JC4PM
— Pompeymik #JC4PM (@pompeymik) July 24, 2018
Despite the accusations and Corbyn’s speech being available online, Observer and Guardian journalist Carole Cadwalladr picked up on the tweet, posting: “The men who love Putin also love Corbyn.”
The journalist, best-known for her reports on Cambridge Analytica and the impact of big data on the Brexit referendum, followed by posting:
I don’t know where JC is on Putin. I do know he has been completely silent on Russia’s interference in our democracy. I don’t know why. But the pro-Kremlin right has seized him as their poster boy. Their doing not mine.
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) July 24, 2018
Other Remainers, many of whom have the FBPE (follow back, Pro-European Union) acronym on their Twitter bio, were piling on the Labour leader. A Jo Maugham QC tweet, which read, “the far right loves @jeremycorbyn,” was liked 648 times at the time of publication.
The Far Right loves @jeremycorbyn. https://t.co/VBSMg2VXLK
— Jo Maugham QC (@JolyonMaugham) July 24, 2018
No sooner had the attacks began than Corbyn’s supporters pointed out that he had not only been the target of a far-right assassination plot, but also had spent years as an anti-racism activist. Some journalists and academics used the opportunity to clarify Corbyn’s point in context, while others bemoaned the state of journalism and the reliance on spin.
Corbyn team is complaining that his words about "cheap labour" have been taken out of context and on this occasion they are absolutely right: he was talking about "imports" made abroad with cheap labour, not cheap labour coming here - here's the relevant passage. Please retweet pic.twitter.com/HuHFZjoNmd
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) July 24, 2018
First Corbyn was called far left, then incompetent. Next it was anti-semitic. Next he was called a Czech spy, then a Russian spy. Then he was called an anti-immigrant racist. Now he's called far right. You lot are running out of smears.
— Geoff Ingarfield (@geoffingarfield) July 25, 2018
Today’s been interesting as journalist & academic of comms. It’s apparent many Corbyn critics even in left leaning journalism circles have rarely engaged with what he says & only with spin. If they had they’d know he’d never criticised immigrant workers like that @OwenJones84
— Dr Bethany Usher (@bethanyusher) July 24, 2018
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