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Jeremy Corbyn says 'Tories are offering blank cheques made out to misery' in their manifesto

Leader of the Labour Party accuses Theresa May of 'looking to divide' 

Saturday 20 May 2017 20:50 BST
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Jeremy Corbyn addresses supporters during a General Election campaign event at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham
Jeremy Corbyn addresses supporters during a General Election campaign event at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham (PA)

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Jeremy Corbyn has said the “Tories are offering blank cheques made out to misery” in their manifesto.

The leader of the Labour Party was speaking at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham when he launched an attack on the Conservatives for “looking to divide”.

Mr Corbyn was also keen to note that of the two parties only Labour had published full costing calculations of their manifesto pledges.

“The two parties have published their manifestos. Set out their visions. And in the case of Labour – but only Labour – published our sums too. We don’t just have a vision, we have costed it too. By contrast, the Tories are offering blank cheques made out to misery,” Mr Corbyn said.

"The Tory manifesto must be the most divisive for many elections past. They are now pitching young against old. Their manifesto is a typical nasty party attempt to set generations against each other."

Speaking to an audience of more than 700, Mr Corbyn said Labour was “moving on to win this election”.

He also called on the Tories to drop their “anti-pensioner package" and said no one should be “used as a political football”.

“It is simply wrong to claim that young people can only be given a fair deal at the expense of the old, or vice versa. We all depend on each other,” Mr Corbyn said.

“Labour’s proposals will ask the top 5 per cent of earners and the big corporations to pay a bit more, to help address these problems.

“That way we can make sure that young people can get homes and pensioners can heat their houses in winter."

The speech comes after both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party released their manifestos in full.

The parties have now outlined their policy positions ahead of the election and the public will take to the voting booths on 8 June.

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