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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Shehab Khan

Jeremy Corbyn offers peace deal to hostile Labour MPs but says they must respect his anti-austerity policies

Jeremy Corbyn has made a peace offer to Labour MPs who have been critical of his leadership, by asking them to rejoin his frontbench.

The current leader of the Labour party has said if he wins the leadership election, those MPs who have opposed him in the past are welcome to work with him but they must respect his mandate and accept the direction he wishes to take the party in.

Mr Corbyn has conceded he has made some mistakes in the last year but believes it is time the parliamentary party learn to “love” him.

“I will put it to them that I’ve got a mandate, if I’m elected. I’ll put it to them that the mandate is about the policies I’m trying to put forward,” Mr Corbyn said in an interview with the Guardian.

“Not every dot and comma and crossed t, or whatever. But it is the general direction of the economy and policy. And I’ll invite them to work with us.”

“I’ll rely on the best natures that can come out. A lot of people say lots of things in the heat of the moment. But of course I’ve made mistakes, and of course we need to do better. We certainly can’t carry on as we did,” Mr Corbyn added.

The peace deal includes introductions of elections for some shadow cabinet positions and further involvement of grassroots members in policymaking.

The move comes after Mr Corbyn’s campaign team were criticised for leaking a so-called “hit list” of the most critical Labour MPs.

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