Jeremy Corbyn Tries To Silence The Doubters

Conservative leader May sprang a major surprise on Tuesday by calling a June 8 election, three years ahead of schedule, to capitalise on a dramatic collapse in support for Labour and win a stronger mandate to boost her in complex divorce talks with the European Union.

Robert Buckland has a majority of 5,785 – the Tories’ 10th smallest majority in south-west England.

Opinion polls suggest the party is headed for a similar fate in June, with one former leader not expecting Labour to form a government again in his lifetime. “Recent local by-elections successes in Mosborough and Rotherham, and in the parliamentary seat of Richmond Park shows that Lib Dems are back on form and able to challenge both Labour and Tories and win again”.

The PM warned of a potential “coalition of chaos” led by Mr Corbyn, although the Labour leader ruled out forming a post-election alliance with the SNP.

Mrs May gave a short speech in a parish hall in Walmsley, a village in the Labour-held constituency of Bolton North East.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “A second referendum is not our policy and it won’t be in our manifesto”.

The Prime Minister has “reluctantly” called this election, and is now “reluctant” about debating her rivals.

“We will stand up for Scotland’s decision to stay in the United Kingdom and we will say no to a second referendum, so Scotland can get on with building better schools and better public services”, she added.

“We embrace the entire community, that is the Labour way and that is the Labour message”.

Labour’s shadow education secretary, Corbyn ally Angela Rayner, is attacking the Government for approving more than 130 new free schools this month.

But according to pollsters the public appear to back her decision, with 49 per cent of those asked by YouGov saying she had done the right thing, against 17 per cent who disagreed – a ratio of almost three to one in favour. “Because that’s what [she] said about Jeremy Corbyn”.

“They say I don’t play by the rules – their rules”.

“She is not a safe pair of hands, she is running the country down, and we won’t allow her to hide from her record during an election by making it all about her Brexit negotiation”. Respected veteran Alan Johnson and chair of parliament’s business committee Iain Wright were among those who have said they won’t stand, and their colleagues expect others to follow.

When Theresa May became Prime Minister she said that she wanted to create a country that was fairer for all, but, clearly, this was not true.

When asked in an ITV television interview whether Corbyn was a realistic candidate as prime minister, Labour lawmaker Helen Goodman said: “I don’t think that this election is about changing the government”.