Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Ian Johnston

Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn may have voted to Leave, claims Chris Bryant

Chris Bryant, the recently resigned Shadow Cabinet Minister, has claimed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn may have voted Leave in the referendum.

Mr Bryant was the Shadow Leader of the House until joining the mass resignations from Mr Corbyn's cabinet following the Brexit vote.

Asked about Mr Bryant's claim, a spokesman for Mr Corbyn wrote in a text to The Independent: "That's nonsense. These are simply briefings aimed at destabilising the leadership."

In an interview with BBC News, Mr Bryant said Mr Corbyn had refused to tell him how he had voted in Thursday's referendum.

"His attitude in the EU referendum was so casual, so, I think, inappropriately inept and sometimes it felt as if nobody knew if he was in favour of Remain or Leave," Mr Bryant said.

"People on polling day itself were saying to me, 'how's he voted, has he voted to leave?'

"I suspect that Jeremy may have voted to leave."

As he explained why he had decided to resign from the Shadow Cabinet, Mr Bryant added: "Not only is that [a Leave vote] a betrayal of Labour's historic position on the European Union – a fundamental economic and foreign policy objective of ours – but also it means that if he were to lead us into a general election, the latest poll shows we would lose 150 seats, we would be a rump of 75 Members of Parliament."

Asked if he could state categorically that Mr Corbyn voted Remain, the Labour leader's spokesman said: "Of course. But it's unacceptable to ask him how he voted.

"He led the Labour In campaign and we were the only party to deliver a majority of our supporters."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.