Corbyn plays down Watson’s warning of ‘mountain to climb’ before polling day
He said parliament’s ability to hold her to account “will go out of the window” if the Conservatives achieve a landslide victory.
Jeremy Corbyn has sought to play down his deputy leader’s concerns that Labour has “a mountain to climb” to win the General Election.
Tom Watson warned that Theresa May’s Tories could gain a “Margaret Thatcher-style majority” on June 8.
But asked if senior figures were admitting defeat, Mr Corbyn said “not at all”.
On a visit to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, Mr Corbyn said: “I’m out here around the whole country, the party is out around the whole country, putting out a message that we’re a party for the many not the few, we will invest in our NHS, our education system, we will protect our pensions and pensioners and we will ensure that there is an expanding economy that works for all.”
He went on: “I’ve been talking to my deputy leader this morning, we have been talking about the attacks on the NHS, about the cyber attack, and about our policies to support art and culture which is of course within his brief.
“We are both working absolutely flat out to get Labour MPs elected on June 8.”
Mr Watson had warned that a large majority would give the Prime Minister governance “without much accountability”.
The deputy leader said parliament’s ability to hold her to account “will go out of the window” if the Conservatives achieve a landslide in the election.
And he admitted Labour had a “mountain to climb” before voting day, although the party is determined and the final manifesto, a draft of which was leaked on Wednesday, contains “terrifically exciting” ideas.
Mr Watson told The Guardian: “If we get to 8 June and (Theresa May) still commands the lead in the polls she had at the start of the election, she will command a Margaret Thatcher-style majority.
“A Conservative government with a 100 majority is what it is. It will be very hard for them to be held to account in the House of Commons.It means there won’t be the usual checks and balances of democracy … all those things go out the window.
“You end up with governance by Theresa May without much accountability, and I don’t think anybody wants that.”
