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Roundup: Britain's Labour Party leader urges voters to back EU membership

Xinhua, April 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday made his first major intervention in the country's European Union (EU) referendum campaign, urging voters to back continued membership in the bloc.

In a speech in central London, Corbyn said the Labour Party is "overwhelmingly for staying in."

"Labour is convinced that a vote to remain is in the best interests of the people of this country," he said.

Elaborating on his party's stance on EU referendum, Corbyn stressed that staying in the EU would help Britain meet "huge challenges" from climate change, cybercrime, and terrorism to refugee movements.

"All these issues are serious and pressing, and self-evidently require international co-operation. Collective international action through the European Union is clearly going to be vital to meeting these challenges," he explained.

In the speech, Corbyn also highlighted "a strong socialist case" for Britain staying in the 28-member bloc.

"By working together across our continent, we can develop our economies, protect social and human rights, tackle climate change and clamp down on tax dodgers," he argued.

"You cannot build a better world unless you engage with the world, build allies and deliver change," he added.

Meanwhile, the Labour leader emphasized the need to reform the EU, calling for "democratic reform to make the EU more accountable to its people."

Corbyn has been critical of many EU practices over the years, but on Thursday he insisted that "change can only come from working with our allies in the EU."

Despite his personal Euroscepticism in the past, he rejected claims that he has been "half-hearted" over the EU referendum.

"It's perfectly possible to be critical and still be convinced we need to remain a member," he said.

Paul Nuttall, deputy leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), criticized Corbyn's speech, saying the Labour politician "has sold out and joined the Europhile elite" just to save his job as party leader.

"It's a shame Jeremy Corbyn feels compelled to endorse an institution he doesn't believe in to appease the Blairites," tweeted Leave EU, a cross-party campaign advocating British exit from the EU.

However, Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed Corbyn's intervention in spite of political differences between the Conservatives and the Labour Party.

"The truth is this there are lots of things we disagree about between Labour, Liberals, Greens and others but the fact is we all come together to support the idea of Britain staying in a reformed European Union," Cameron said.

Britain will hold a referendum on June 23 to decide whether it should remain in the EU. Endit