The former Deputy Prime Minister accused Labour of being 'dishonest' in supporting our departure from the EU.
Nick Clegg has accused Jeremy Corbyn of ‘aiding and abetting the very hard right’ by backing Brexit, in a speech that pulled no punches against a ‘pro-Brexit elite’.
In a speech to University College London students, the former Deputy Prime Minister’s scorn was at times met with silence in room full of young Corbyn supporters.
Clegg claimed the UK is currently subject to a ‘coup by a pro-Brexit elite’, and called on MPs to vote down Brexit:
“What’s the point of holding a vote if MPs aren’t able to express their judgement?…”
“It’s not a right but a duty of MPs to withhold their consent from Brexit if it doesn’t deliver on the expectations of the referendum…
“‘I can’t see a way out of Brexit unless MPs say no to the Brexit deal – and they have every single democratic right to do so.”
Those MPs who reject Brexit will ‘make Britain great again’, said the now-knighted politician – maintaining that if Parliament has second thoughts, ‘the pause button will be pushed on Article 50’.
Sir Nick tried downplay the significance of the Brexit vote itself: “It was a stick to beat London with…a majority of people did not vote to leave,” in words that will anger many Leave voters.
And there were laughs to the now knighted politician accusing Labour of being ‘dishonest’ through supporting leaving Single Market, given his tuition fee record. The former Lib Dem leader also railed against the ‘broken promises’ of Brexiteers.
He urged students to take to the streets against Brexit – strong words from a man who provoked the 2010/11 student riots:
“You have more power in your hands than you realise – imagine if there were demonstrations of thousands of young people against Brexit.”
In words that will amuse Eurosceptics, Clegg appeared to back the EU promise of ‘ever closer union’, arguing that to stabilise the Eurozone: “You have to have greater federalism.” The UK not being in Euro ’causes significant tensions,’ he claimed.
‘Sir Nick’ also made an amusing revelation, claiming that during talks with Labour after the 2010 hung parliament, Gordon Brown was ‘manically writing down the parties they could try and get into a rainbow coalition’. The former Lib Dem leader told him: “Put your pen down!”
And the former Deputy PM slammed politicians for claiming Brexit posed opportunities – condemning ‘all that crap that Frank Field [MP] says’ about Brexit being an opportunity for new policy making. “We’re going to be tied up in this for years.”
The Lib Dem politician was promoting his new book, ‘How to Stop Brexit‘, and received a warm reception overall – from a room packed with indebted students. Is he drumming up support to return to Parliament?
After ‘joking’ many times about losing his seat last year, we think the knight doth protest too much…
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.
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One Response to “Nick Clegg: Corbyn is ‘aiding and abetting’ the hard right by backing Brexit”
Jimmy glesga
Clegg the Tory in disguise fools no one. We are out of the corrupt EU gravy train.