Hilary Benn: I've no interest in Labour leadership
Hilary Benn says Jeremy Corbyn has his full backing - and insists he has 'absolutely no interest' in becoming the next Labour leader.
Mr Benn has been touted as the party's next leader following his passionate speech in the Commons backing Syria air strikes.
The December 2 speech, which put forward military intervention as the only way to defeat Islamic State militants, drew loud cheers and applause from all sides of the House.
The son of left-wing stalwart Tony Benn was one of 66 Labour MPs to defy Mr Corbyn, who had stressed that party policy was to oppose the Prime Minister's call to increase air strikes.
But the MP for Leeds Central said he is committed to his role as shadow foreign secretary, insisting that Mr Corbyn is the right man to lead Labour.
He was in Wolverhampton on Thursday as a guest of Emma Reynolds MP to speak at the city's Labour group's annual Christmas dinner.
"I have only one ambition," he said during a visit to the Express & Star's Queen Street offices. "That is to see a Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn winning the next general election.
"I have absolutely no interest in becoming Labour leader.
"Politics is all about people putting forward different opinions. I think the Syria vote shows our strength as a party. It shows that we are open for debate."
Mr Benn ran for deputy leader eight years ago and has held cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
He was keen to dismiss claims that the vote over Syria had opened up irreconcilable wounds within the party.
Last month he again appeared to be at odds with his leader, who had questioned the use of 'shoot to kill' tactics against terrorists.
He said a Labour victory in 2020 was 'certainly possible'. "As a party we are focused on trying to win the next election," he added.
Mr Benn was adamant that Britain staying in Europe is a vital ingredient of preserving world peace.
"I feel particularly passionate in my view that Britain should vote to stay as part of the European Union," he said, referring to the EU referendum that is due to take place before the end of 2017.
"We must continue to be the outward facing country we have always been. The EU has meant jobs, growth and investment. In this area Jaguar Land Rover is a fine example of that.
"Whether it's dealing with the refugee crisis, cross border crime, terrorism or climate change, the only way we can tackle these issues is by working with our neighbours.
"We have stood by our neighbours and allies and we must continue to do so in future. This is not a time for us to consider going alone."
