Thursday 21 July 2016

"Invoke Article 50 now!" - Corbyn

One of the persistent criticisms encountered about Corbyn is that he surprised his own party by calling for article 50 to be invoked immediately.

I assumed he actually had done so, but digging around, it is hard to confirm. There are lots of places saying he said it, but the actual video evidence has proved elusive.

Labour List gives a transcript of what he said:
“The British people have made their decision. We must respect that result and Article 50 has to be invoked now so that we negotiate an exit from European Union.

“Obviously there has to be strategy but the whole point of the referendum was that the public would be asked their opinion. They’ve given their opinion. It is up for parliament to now act on that opinion.

“Quite clearly negotiations must take place. There must be the best deal possible in order to ensure strong industries in Britain stay strong and strong industries that have big export markets protect retain those export markets. But we are in some very difficult areas. That’s obvious to everybody."
Interestingly, Labour List glosses his remark as calling for Article 50 to be trigger "immediately."

But I am not sure that is actually what he says at all.

I suppose it depends on if he said that crucial 'now' with emphasis. But it reads like he means, "Now we have to invoke article 50," rather than, "We have to invoke article 50 immediately."

I am a bit surprised that the evidence of his evil ways are not being replayed constantly, a sort of British Zapruder film.  But I can't find it anywhere, thus far.  It's almost enough to make you wonder if there is something afoot, a desirable impression to be created which awkward reality doesn't quite fit with ...

In other words, yet another one of the endless spin operations being deployed by his enemies within the party?

1 comment:

Norman Fellows said...

Hi lurgee!

I think this is probably the source of the Corbyn comment in question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_dstsWkEFc&feature=share

And this is the Newsnight interview in which Corbyn sought to clarify what he meant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlo1w3SaNHo&feature=share

I agree with you that what Corbyn meant was "Now we have to invoke article 50," rather than, "We have to invoke article 50 immediately."

Further to that, there appears to be no evidence that Corbyn has denied saying that "Article 50 has to be invoked now..." Why would he?

Unsurprising

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