Jeremy Corbyn: I will be Prime Minister in six months
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn said he will be prime minister in six months and will scrap the Trident nuclear deterrent “as soon as” he can, it has been claimed.
The Labour leader made the comments in a private conversation with Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis - but Mr Eavis revealed them during an audience Q&A at the event on Sunday.
According to Somerset Live, Mr Eavis said: “Wasn’t [Corbyn] fantastic? I said to him ‘when are you going to be prime minister?’” He said Mr Corbyn had replied: “In six months.”
He also said he had asked the Labour leader: “When are you going to get rid of Trident?” To which Mr Corbyn apparently replied: “As soon as I can.”
Mr Corbyn has been a lifelong campaigner against nuclear weapons but was forced to accept that current Labour policy is to back the renewal of the deterrent.
Ahead of the recent general election he told the BBC: “I voted against the renewal. Everybody knows that because I wanted to go in a different direction.
“That is the decision that’s been taken; I respect that decision going ahead.”
He added: “My views on nuclear weapons are well known. I want to achieve a nuclear-free world through multilateral disarmament through the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”
Labour told the Guardian Mr Corbyn’s chat with the festival founder was paraphrased and did not fully reflect his position or that of the party.
A spokesperson told the paper: “Both Jeremy and the Labour party have long been committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which aims to achieve a nuclear-free world.
“Trident renewal is Labour policy, as spelled out in our manifesto, which Jeremy and the party were proud to stand on in the election.”
Mr Corbyn at the weekend vowed to “force an early general election” after saying it was “ludicrous” to think Theresa May’s minority government could hold on to power.
Recent polling suggests Labour would win an election if it were held now. A Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times put the party five points ahead of the Tories on 46%.
The poll also showed Theresa May's personal approval rating stands at -17, compared with +17 for Mr Corbyn.
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