LABOUR members attending Jeremy Corbyn’s speech in Glasgow yesterday expressed mixed opinions about their UK party leader.
Derek Gillon, of Cambuslang, was not happy Corbyn was set to impose a three-line whip on his MPs to support the triggering of article 50 should it come to the Commons.
“I think Jeremy should be taking a stronger line against the Tories on Brexit. He’s ordering Labour MPs to vote for triggering article 50. I don’t agree with that, it should be a free vote,” he told The National.
The 70-year-old did not believe Corbyn was doing a good job as Labour leader, and said he had voted for Owen Smith in last year’s leadership election.
However, he praised Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, saying she was doing her best in difficult circumstances in holding the Scottish Government account on its record on public services. Gillon said he wasn’t sure how he would vote in a new referendum on independence but was worried about the economy of an independent Scotland.
However, he added he would “possibly” consider voting for independence if the fortunes of Labour continued to decline.
“The deciding factor is the Labour party,” he said. “They are on their back heels all the time and they are allowing this Conservative government to get away with murder.”
But Jack Taylor, 22, of Edinburgh, said he was a strong Corbyn supporter and backed the party leader’s position on Brexit.
“There is a sense of optimism in the party at the moment. I’m pleased we are getting a socialist message through,” he said.
“We have an opportunity to re-evaluate what when wrong and learn from those mistakes. I did vote Remain but the majority of the British public voted to Leave and we have to respect that result.”
Reminded that 62 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the EU, he replied: “Lots of people in England voted to remain too and people in Northern Ireland voted to remain.
“At the end of the day a lot of people are going to be disappointed but unfortunately the way referendums work is that the majority vote is carried.”
Alistair Laing, 72, from Dumbarton, said he was happy with the leaderships of both Corbyn and Dugdale but recognised the party faced a tough challenge at the council elections in May.
“It is going to take quite some time for the party to turn itself around and Jeremy’s message to get through, but things are changing all the time and who can say where we will be politically in a few years’ time,” he said.
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