Corbyn’s immigration honesty creates a problem for Remain

Jeremy Corbyn went on The Marr Show this morning to talk about Jo Cox’s tragic death and the EU referendum. Corbyn talked movingly about Cox and how MPs don’t want to be cut off from the communities that they serve. The conversation then moved on to the EU referendum. Andrew Marr asked Corbyn if he thought there should be an upper limit on immigration. Corbyn replied, rightly, ‘I don’t think you can have one while you have free movement of labour’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6joUzXHwE8

Now, this is true. But it very much isn’t the Remain campaign script; David Cameron has even refused to admit that his ambition to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands is undeliverable while Britain is in the EU. I expect we’ll hear Corbyn’s comments quoted a lot by the Leave campaign in the coming days and in the BBC debate at Wembley Arena on Tuesday night.

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