UK

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband join forces for campaign to remain in the EU

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and his predecessor Ed Miliband on board the Labour In for Britain bus near Doncaster, as the pair go into battle against Brexit together. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and his predecessor Ed Miliband on board the Labour In for Britain bus near Doncaster, as the pair go into battle against Brexit together. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and his predecessor Ed Miliband on board the Labour In for Britain bus near Doncaster, as the pair go into battle against Brexit together. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association

FORMER Labour leader Ed Miliband publicly joined forces with his successor Jeremy Corbyn for the first time since he took over the party to make the case for a Remain vote to show "solidarity" with the European Union.

At a rally in Doncaster on Friday, where Mr Miliband is an MP, the former leader urged Labour voters to think of the message that Brexit would send to the rest of Europe.

He highlighted the Labour movement's historic links with the continent, stretching back to the fights against fascism in the Spanish Civil War and Second World War.

Mr Corbyn highlighted the EU's role in green policies, saying that measures to protect the environment could not be effective within national borders.

"We stand for remaining in the European Union for a very simple reason: we want a Labour government as soon as possible, but that Labour government will find it much easier to change this country and make it a fairer country if we are inside and not outside the EU," Mr Miliband said.

"Think of all the issues we face: trade with other countries, climate change, making companies pay their taxes – every single issue we are stronger working with others than we are on our own."

"Throughout our history as a party – the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War – we have shown solidarity.

"Think of what our partners across Europe would say if we, the Labour Party were not in favour of remaining in the EU – we, the party of solidarity.

"So today we stand for solidarity again, we stand for staying in the EU."

Mr Miliband also said young people "take for granted the ability to travel across borders, to work elsewhere, to study elsewhere - think of their future, put their future first".

Mr Corbyn said: "You can't protect the environment just within national borders."

Ahead of the joint appearance, Mr Corbyn said Brexit would threaten the effort to tackle climate change and protect natural beauty spots.

He said: "Climate change is one of the greatest fights of our generation, and at a time when the Government has scrapped funding for green projects, it is vital that we remain in the EU so we can keep accessing valuable funding streams to protect our environment.

"Leaving the EU would mean the green spaces, clean beaches and fresh air we want to leave for our children could be at risk. It would risk investment in new green technologies and the jobs that accompany them, and would leave us open to the Tory agenda which has been so damaging to our environment.

"Pollution and climate change don't respect national borders so we can't hope to deal with these issues if we withdraw into our shell. We must vote to Remain and continue to work with our European neighbours to stop climate change and protect our environment."

In his address to activists in Doncaster, Mr Corbyn said: "Pollution flows from one country to another. Air pollution flows from one country to another.

"You have to work with other countries in order to bring about a sustainable cleaner environment all across this continent. That's one good reason why we should remain and work with people that think like us all across Europe.

"Another reason is working conditions."

He said: "Those that are arguing for a No vote, a Leave vote on June 23, you know what the first thing they say is? On the 24th, there'll be a bonfire of regulations.

"Now regulations never sound nice but when those regulations guarantee you a holiday, guarantee you security of employment, guarantee you from discrimination, give you the opportunity for clean air, clean beaches, for a sustainable environment, then they're regulations worth having."

Mr Corbyn, who has a history of Euroscepticism, acknowledged he still had concerns about the way Brussels worked but would argue from within the EU for action on human rights and justice.

"I have concerns, as do many about the way the European Union operates," he said.

"I want them to chase down the tax havens and tax avoiders. I want them to stand up against those who would short-change our communities by not paying their tax and thus underfunding our public services.

"So we have to work together with people who think like us all across Europe because it's the same companies in country after country that are short-changing our people and our public by not paying their taxes that we all need.

"And so I will argue to remain in order to reform. I will argue to remain in order to work in solidarity with people all across Europe, I will argue to remain in order to benefit from the human rights and justice for all of us all across this continent.

"But I will also say that one very big problem we face is the Tory government in Britain. The Tory government that is cutting local authority funding, that is underfunding our health service, that is now saddling a whole new generation with even bigger debts at university.

"That Tory government wants a Europe that is rather different from the Europe that any of us on this platform want."

The Labour leader insisted he was playing his part in the EU campaign following criticism over his commitment to the cause.

"I'm doing lots of rallies and lots of meetings," he said. "I was in Hastings the other day, I'm in Cardiff next week, I was in Liverpool the week before. I'm travelling all around."