Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, has spoken exclusively to Impact during an event in Beeston.
Jeremy Corbyn was in Nottingham on Thursday 3rd November to attend a number of East Midlands Labour events, as well as to interact with locals and members of his party. ‘Rally with Jeremy Corbyn’ took place in the Beeston Youth and Community Centre, with around 120 supporters in attendance.
Following his interview with Impact, Corbyn spoke to other media outlets, discussing Brexit, funding for the Midlands and Nottingham as a city. His interview with Impact can be found below.
The Nottingham Post were able to ask about today’s High Court ruling in relation to Brexit. Corbyn stated that if the ruling stands, Parliament will make the decision regarding Article 50 being invoked. He said it is clear that the referendum should be respected. Corbyn also mentioned the possibility of Parliament being involved in the negotiations and how unusual it is for the Court to decide.
Corbyn went on to discuss the lower level of central government funding the East Midlands receives which “has to be rectified”. Problems include the lack of jobs and skilled workers, and so under a Labour government, investment would be a key policy. Corbyn said Labour want to deal with “job insecurity and inequality”.
Corbyn also praised Nottingham’s bus service, from which he said lessons could be learnt, as he “wants good quality bus services across the UK, including in rural areas”.
Impact interviewed Corbyn before the event and asked about issues facing students today:
You’ve talked about the progressive restoration of free education, does that mean you will bring back maintenance grants and abolish tuition fees?
Corbyn: [First we will] bring back the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) for sixteen year-olds to encourage them to stay on and take A-Levels, which is a vital step for going to university.
We then want a return of student maintenance grants so [young people] can afford to stay at university, as they were abolished by the Government this year. We will work towards a reduction in student fees.
How can Labour ensure it will receive the student vote in the next General Election?
Corbyn: I hope to get the vote of all young people, [including] those in apprenticeships and training… For example, access to university and college, for the first time in decades, has gone down among the working class.
Can Labour provide optimism for this generation in terms of jobs and housing?
Corbyn: Yes, we are determined to provide job security, abolish zero hour contracts, to protect the Working Time Directive and [other measures] from Europe and to invest in high tech enterprise and industry.
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Image via: Andrew Hallsworth of Marlow Photographic
