Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn’s campaigns will trade blows over defence and foreign policy on Friday.
Corbyn will give a speech in London announcing a fresh approach to international affairs, saying a Labour government would not hold hands with Donald Trump.
His remarks are an implicit attack on May for her decision to have a close relationship with the new US president and signs that she could allow the UK to join bombing raids on the Syrian regime if asked to do so by Washington. She allowed Trump to hold her hand on her first trip to see him at the White House in January.
In his speech, Corbyn will say he is “not a pacifist” but he will argue that military intervention has become “almost routine in recent times”. Foreign policy aiming at a more peaceful world has long been one of his personal priorities, especially support for unilateral disarmament and Palestinian rights.
“Pandering to an erratic Trump administration will not deliver stability … So no more hand-holding with Donald Trump; a Labour government will conduct a robust and independent foreign policy made in London,” he will say.
A draft of Labour’s manifesto leaked on Wednesday night said the party would place “peace, universal rights and international law” at the heart of foreign policy, while committing to meeting the Nato target of spending 2% of GDP on defence and to maintaining the Trident nuclear deterrent.
Later, May will give a speech in the north-east arguing that Labour voters in the party’s northern heartlands are “increasingly looking at what Corbyn believes in and are appalled”.
One of her ministers has attacked the Labour leader on the issue of security, saying Corbyn is only “pretending what he’s got to keep us safe” after a lifetime of trying to disarm Britain.
Mike Penning, an armed forces minister, said: “It’s nonsense – we know he wants scrap Trident, abandon our allies and would rather talk to Daesh than strike its barbaric leader. We all want peace, but you can’t take tea with terrorists who order attacks on innocent civilians on our streets.”
His comments appear to be an allusion to past news stories about Corbyn having invited former members of the IRA to the House of Commons and an event at which he once referred to “friends” from Hamas and Hezbollah. Corbyn has since said he regrets using the term “friends” but was just trying to use inclusive language, and argued he was ahead of his time in wanting talks with the IRA to stop the violence in Northern Ireland.
Corbyn has long opposed the Trident nuclear deterrent and has previously suggested the UK should withdraw from Nato, but neither of these approaches are party policy under his leadership.
