Britain’s main 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 has been ambiguous about his views, saying he wants to wait to see what reforms Prime Minister Cameron can achieve.
.”...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 torpedoeing 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 US and accused the EU of allowing financiers to destroy Greece’s economy.
During the leadership campaign he told Reuters that if Cameron failed to deliver such reforms, the party would have to have a discussion about its position, possibly at a special conference.