'The monster to slay before domestic policies is Brexit': readers on Corbyn's speech

‘Jeremy you are right but you must be prepared to stand aside to allow someone else to be come caretaker PM’

Yes Jeremy, I agree. You are absolutely right. The problems of the UK run far deeper than Brexit. The thing is, the country did vote for Brexit. Millions of people who will suffer the consequences of Brexit voted for it. People whose prospects are so poor that they voted for Brexit on the assumption that things can’t get any worse. But he also has to acknowledge the fact that we cannot go on to do that with the threat of Brexit hanging above our heads. It will make everything so much worse, and take away our ability to address the issues that are causing so much misery and poverty. Brexit will not lead to any short term or mid term increase in job or wealth creation. It will have the opposite effect for most ordinary people.

Corbyn’s priority must be to stop any possibility of a no-deal Brexit – then to stop any form of Brexit. Even a soft Brexit with a deal will leave us worse off. He must be prepared to stand aside to allow someone else who can command a majority to become caretaker PM. It will only be a temporary position until Brexit is resolved and a general election is called. Then he can come back as Labour leader and fight that election. pocclondon

‘As a Labour member it’s excruciating to watch Corbyn flail about like this’

As a Labour member, its excruciating (and embarrassing) to watch Corbyn flail about like this. I’m entirely on board with our domestic policy program under Corbyn but he is never ever going to win a general election. His main appeal was the honesty and consistency which marked him out as different. Now he doesn’t even have that after pretending to campaign for Remain (i.e. disappearing) when everyone knows he loathes the EU. We’re heading for a no deal Brexit and it will be Labour’s fault. Mark Forrester

‘The country is divided and Labour seeks to heal it’

Jesus, a speech that is full of content, calling out Boris for what he is, arguing for a reversal of the austerity that has driven this country down the plug and the comments on here [the live blog] can pick at is that labour “could” be neutral in a second ref. The country is divided. Labour seek to heal it, not just by reversing cuts but by seeking a compromise on Brexit. And yes, it’s likely to leave no-one happy but that is what a bloody compromise looks like. Don’t even Lib Dem me. They supported austerity and via a combination of that and their propping up of Cameron’s government they have their hands all over Brexit and the decline of our social and welfare infrastructure. I wouldn’t trust a yellow Tory as far as I could throw one. Waldrapplbis

‘He’s walking straight into Johnson’s trap’

Sadly Corbyn is still pushing for a GE as the solution rather than a people’s vote. It looks as if he is walking straight into Johnson’s trap as the latter will be able to set the election date in his own favour. Brexit for the Tories will be more than enough to wipe out Labour. It’ll happen before the country has woken to the chaos of Brexit. Corbyn should never give Johnson what he wants – a GE, before it’s obvious to the country that his Government is sunk in Brexit chaos and exuding incompetence from every pore. FogintheChannel

‘The monster to slay before domestic policies is Brexit’

Great rhetoric Corbyn. But surely the monster to tackle right now, right here, is Brexit. That is the monster to slay before domestic policies. Brexit has to be lanced first. Or can you tell us how your Brexit is going to benefit anyone? solitarybeehive

‘It is the only party that can, and has tried to, actually unite the country’

So it seems few people understand what this position means. Labour being neutral means it will not force one position or another on their MPs who will be free to campaign and vote as they see fit. Despite what most people here seem to think, the country is still split and the only way forward is to have an open and honest conversation about it. Labour is a broad church, its voters are split over this and acting like that isn’t the case is not helpful. Taking a neutral stance allows the party to debate this on its own merits (or none) and then for everyone to vote with their own conscience. It is the only party that can and has tried to actually unite the country. KingInTheNorth

‘He’s pissing into the wind on Brexit again’

Pissing into the wind on Brexit again Jezza. I voted for you. I support fully the economic and social approach you and McDonnell have taken. But you have to fight the enemy in front of you. And that enemy is Brexit. You missed the point and consigned us to right wing extremist hell. Thanks. Sequinner

‘It’s hard to see how Labour will suffer from continuing on with constructive ambiguity’

Sound strategy to remain neutral at the next referendum. The great thing is that Labour doesn’t need to come off the fence to win at the next GE and gain the remain vote. All Labour needs to do is offer a second referendum in its general election manifesto with the option to remain included in it. Anyone slightly remain inclined who is thinking rationally and wants to stop Brexit, would still vote for Labour if they offered a second referendum in it’s GE manifesto, regardless of whether Labour comes out fully in support of Remain as a party.

Given all the above, and given the serious damage of a split in the Labour vote by backing remain unequivocally, it’s very hard to see how Labour will suffer from continuing on with constructive ambiguity while throwing its weight behind a second referendum vacuous

‘He is right but any form of Brexit that compounds the problems we face won’t cure them’

Corbyn is right to note that the problems faced by the UK run much deeper than Brexit which is, after all, a symptom of those problems. Having said that, any form of Brexit that removes citizenship and rights from millions of people without their consent will compound the problems we face, not cure any of them. DJT1Million

‘Labour cannot sit Brexit out and hope it goes away’

Corbyn and the Labour leadership just don’t seem to understand that until Brexit is resolved one way or another, everything else is on the back burner. They can’t simply sit this out and hope it goes away – rightly or wrongly, it’s currently the number one issue and it needs decisive leadership to get past it. Adrianh2017

‘Corbyn is correct - not spectacular, not catchy, not quotable, just correct’

Corbyn is correct - not spectacular, not catchy, not quotable, just correct. The general public are being excluded from the wealth flowing to a small fraction of the population. A step change is needed to address this. So much is wrong and so much has been deliberately broken over the last 40 years that there is no guarantee a new direction exists that will lead to prosperity for all. But unless you try nothing will change. WallyGnat

‘Spot on Jez’

Spot on Jez. Britain’s problems do lie far deeper than Brexit. The disconnected mentality of people who rail against Corbyn while not comprehending why Brexit happened is incredible. They’ll vote against Labour because red Ed ate his sandwich in a funny way and because they can’t trust the government with more taxes and then blink dumbfoundedly with an uncomprehending gaze when things continue to get worse and fall apart around them. vacuous

‘Not a massive Corbyn fan but he’s right on this one’

Got to be honest, not a massive Corbyn fan, but he’s right on this one. It’s not about remain vs leave, we need to reunite the country and end the austerity that got us here in the first place. saxonwhittle