Jeremy Corbyn says he will remain neutral in any second Brexit referendum
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has said he will remain "neutral" during any second referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.
The Labour leader said that would allow him to bring the country back together again once it was over.
His comments, in a Question Time leader's debate, are at odds with his party's official position, which is to hold a special conference to decide whether to back Leave or Remain.
Under Mr Corbyn's plan, he would attempt to rise above the fray and then implement whatever the country decides.
He said: "I will adopt, if I am Prime Minister at the time, a neutral stance so I can credibly carry out the result of that to bring our communities and country together rather continuing endless debate about the EU and Brexit.
"This will be a trade deal with Europe or remaining in the EU - that will be the choice that will be put before the British people within 6 months. Any other option will require years of negotiations either with the EU or the USA."
In response, a Conservative Party source said: "Jeremy Corbyn has just confirmed that he has no plan for Brexit - he will not even say if he thinks we should leave or remain.
"All he offers is months and months of dither and delay followed by the chaos of another two referendums."
SCOTTISH REFERENDUM
Elsewhere during his half hour grilling, Mr Corbyn also said that he would not allow a second Scottish rerferendum to take place for "for the first two years at least" of a Labour government.
But SNP leader Nicpla Sturgeon, who has said she wants it to take place in 2020, said she believed he would drop that position if he needed her party's support in order to form a minority administration.
She said: "Jeremy Corbyn supports the right of self-determination of almost every other country in the world. I’m not sure he’s going to compromise the chance to have a Labour government for that issue.
"If Jeremy Corbyn wants the support of the SNP ... I would ask him to respect the right of the Scottish people to choose their own future and I don't think he'll turn his back on ending austerity to block that right."
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