UK’s Labour leader defends record ahead of court ruling

Gateshead (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Britain’s Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday defended his record at the helm of the crisis-hit party, in a debate ahead of a court ruling which could sway the outcome of the leadership battle.

“We’ve recruited 300,000 people to the party and those people are active, they are determined to achieve a better society,” Corbyn said to huge applause in Gateshead, northeast England.

“We were ahead in the polls until certain people decided we’d have a leadership contest instead,” the Labour party leader added during the debate with his challenger Owen Smith.

Labour party membership has jumped from 200,000 to 540,000 since February 2015.

But the party has been beset by infighting following a June referendum which saw Britain decide to leave the European Union, with MPs accusing Corbyn of a lacklustre campaign for Europe.

Corbyn’s refusal to step down prompted the leadership contest, which he on Thursday suggested was to blame for Labour’s dire performance in polls by YouGov. 

The party currently commands 28 percent of the vote — 14 points behind the Conservative — down from 33 percent at the end of April when Labour was three points ahead of the ruling party.

But Smith, who is relatively unknown in national politics, accused Corbyn of weak leadership and said it was vital to “translate our principles into power.”

“I will make us once more a powerful opposition… (A) credible and radical Labour government-in-waiting,” said Smith. 

While Corbyn commands grassroots support, his critics argue he is incapable of leading the party to victory in a national election.

– Brexit and music –

In Gateshead the audience was warned to keep their boos to a minimum as the former allies debated subjects as broad as Brexit, musical tastes and nuclear weapons.

But the duo’s performance in the second of six leadership debates will be overshadowed by a court ruling expected on Friday, which will determine who can vote for the new party leader.

The Court of Appeal is set to decide whether 125,000 new party members should be allowed to vote in the leadership contest, after Labour’s National Executive Committee decided people who had been members for less than six months up to July 12 should be barred from taking part.

The Committee decided to appeal after losing its case in the High Court on Monday, a move criticised by Corbyn who is expected to be the preferred candidate among new members.