WATCH: Jeremy Corbyn hits back at Tony Blair's claim that public would not ‘accept’ him becoming next PM
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has hit back at Tony Blair's claim that the public would not back him to be Prime Minister, by insisting Labour's policies enjoy widepread support.
The former PM said voters would not “tolerate” a situation where the choice for the next leader of the UK was Mr Corbyn or a Boris Johnson-led Conservative party.
"I don’t know what will happen and I don’t know how it will happen, but I just don’t think people will find that in the country as a whole an acceptable choice," he told the BBC's Nick Robinson. "Something will fill that vacuum."
But hitting back, the current Labour leader said his ex-colleague should recognise that party membership was at record levels and that Labour’s policies at the last election had mainstream backing.
He told the BBC: “I think Tony should recognise that the party membership is now much bigger than it’s ever been, it’s the biggest it’s ever been in my lifetime, well over half a million members and in the General Election last year we set out what our aspirations are for the people of this country.
“Aspirations of eliminating homelessness, aspirations of putting more money and resources into education through a national education service, ending university fees, building half a million council homes, taking water into public ownership, are overwhelmingly popular policies and, sadly we didn’t win it, but we got the highest vote for labour since 2001.”
“So I just think we need to recognise, people are not prepared any longer to live in a society that’s so unequal and what by on the other side why some of our fellow citizens are sleeping on the streets.
WATCH Mr Corbyn's full comments below:
Elsewhere in his interview, Mr Blair said it may not be possible for moderates to win back control of the party from the left-wing leader and his supporters – after it had undergone a “profound transformation”.
“It is a different type of Labour party. The question is can it be taken back? And that’s a pretty open question,” he said.
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