Corbyn refuses six times to say if UK would be better off outside EU

Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to stop backing a “dreadful Brexit” by one of his MPs after he repeatedly failed to say whether Britain would be better off outside the European Union.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, the Labour leader was asked six times whether he believed Britain is better off outside of the EU.

Mr Corbyn said he wanted the UK to have a “good relationship with the European Union”, addding: “That’s what we have to have in order to maintain jobs in manufacturing supply chains and food processing.

“That has to be the priority now, so we have that effective trading relationship including the customs union with the European Union.”

But the reporter continued to press Mr Corbyn, telling him he had been told he could only have one question and that he would “very much like” the Labour leader to answer it.

On the sixth time, he replied: “I’ve answered your question five times and for the sixth time I will say this to you: the Labour priority is to negotiate a trading relationship with the European Union, to protect jobs and to defend the living standards that we have through regulation but also to make sure that the jobs in the manufacturing industry and the food supply chain are protected.”

Asked about Mr Corbyn’s interview, Labour MP Chuka Umunna told the Press Association: “It is absolutely clear that under every scenario out of the European Union Britain and in particular so many of the areas that voted usually for Labour that our country will be worse off as a result of us leaving the European Union – that is a fact.”

The Remain-supporting MP added: “What the Labour Party needs to do is stop backing this dreadful Brexit and live up to its values, and that requires us to be arguing for a people’s vote because there’s deadlock in Westminster, there’s no agreement on how Brexit should proceed and therefore this needs to be referenced back to the people.

“And that is what people want to hear from their Labour leader.”