Jeremy Corbyn has laid out his foreign policy agenda if he becomes Prime Minister following the upcoming 12 December election. The Labour leader laid the foundation for a shock EU alliance with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He told the crowd at York college that President Macron “was right” to criticise NATO – and added he wants to set up a meeting with the French leader when he becomes Prime Minister.
Emmanuel Macron isolated himself among his EU allies last week when he described NATO as “brain-dead”.
In response, Turkey’s leader Recep Erdogan remarked that Mr Macron was himself “brain-dead” for making such a comment.
However, the Labour leader agreed with the French leader, adding that next week’s Nato summit in London should be about “reducing tensions in Europe and beyond”.
Mr Corbyn said: “Macron is right to press the case for a change of direction in Nato policy, including the need to de-escalatate conflict with Russia.”
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The Labour leader said he would be happy to work with Mr Macron on coming to a European understanding with Russia.
Mr Corbyn went on to suggest that his first meeting with a world leader if he becomes British Prime Minister would be with Germany’s Angela Merkel.
He said: “It will be Christmas week. I’d have thought a trip to a German market would be a really good idea.”
The surprise warming up to Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel follows tensions between the UK and the EU during fractious Brexit talks.
The left-wing leader added: “It is time for Britain to stop clinging on to Donald Trump’s coat-tails.”
In response to Friday’s terrorist attack at London Bridge, the Labour leader said Britain’s repeated military interventions had “exacerbated rather than resolved” the problem of terrorism.
He accused the government of putting people at risk through its cuts to the police and youth services and its part-privatisation of the probation services.
Mr Corbyn added: “You can’t keep people safe on the cheap.”
Responding to the speech, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “If elected as Prime Minister he would weaken Britain’s security and undermine the alliances that protect us.”