A Labour MP close to Jeremy Corbyn has claimed the election is an attempt by Theresa May to “rig democracy”.
Dawn Butler, who introduced the Labour leader when he made an anti-Establishment-themed speech today, doubled down on the party’s rhetoric when featuring on Radio 4’s PM programme.
Presenter Eddie Mair quoted a Financial Times headline when suggesting Corbyn “channelled Trump” in his first major election speech, which the MP for Brent Central in London dismissed.
When pressed for the third time on how a Labour government would combat the “rigged system” alluded to by Corbyn, Butler appeared to go further than her leader by suggesting the ‘snap’ vote was an example of the unfairness in the system.
Listen to full interview here:
She said:
“Labour will make the system fairer. That’s how we will overturn the rigged system. This election is Theresa May trying to rig democracy in our country.”
She seemed to start to explain how the election was called to nullify the Opposition, but was cut off before she could explain further. May has argued the Labour Party has curbed her Brexit plans, though critics point it this is staight-forward scrutiny.
When pressed again about how it would be fixed, Butler responded:
“You’re talking about how Jeremy will overturn a rigged system. I’m trying to explain to you how the Conservative Party and Theresa May’s government operates in terms of rigging the system. One example of Theresa May trying to rig the system is her calling this election.”
After Butler suggested “the Conservative Party always try to rig democracy”, Mair pointed out Labour voted in favour of the vote: “If Labour thought the election was rigged, why did you support it?”
Butler replied: “Labour supported it as it will give us an opportunity to talk about Labour’s policies around the NHS, around Brexit, around education.”
Butler cited David Cameron’s aborted plan to cut 50 MPs as part of an electoral boundary review as evidence of Tory attempts to “rig our system”.