Exclusive: Jeremy Corbyn Should Not Apologise For The Iraq War, Say Labour Voters

Exclusive: Jeremy Corbyn Should Not Apologise For The Iraq War, Say Labour Voters
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Ben Pruchnie via Getty Images

A majority of Labour voters do not believe Jeremy Corbyn should apologise for the Iraq War, a Survation poll for The Huffington Post UK can reveal.

The Labour leader has frequently said he would say sorry for the party’s role in the 2003 American-led invasion of the Middle East country in which dictator Saddam Hussain was toppled.

The decision to back the war was hugely controversial at the time, and some in the Labour movement believe it tainted the legacy of their last period in office and the reputation of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Although some allies of Mr Corbyn wanted him to use his first conference speech to make the landmark apology, HuffPost UK has been told that it was 'never the case' that he planned to do so. He will instead issue the apology 'in due course', but not in Brighton.

The exclusive Survation poll shows that 53 per cent of Labour voters do not believe Mr Corbyn should apologise on behalf of the party for the decision to send British troops into war in Iraq.

Just 32 per cent believe he should apologise, while 15 per cent did not know.

Among voters from all parties, 31 per cent agreed that Mr Corbyn should apologise, with 47 per cent disagreeing, and 22 per cent not knowing.

The survey also showed that just a third of Labour voters – 34 per cent - believe Mr Corbyn will win the next election, with 31 per cent not believing he can and 35 per cent did not know.

Among voters in general, belief in Mr Corbyn plummets even further, with a mere 16 per cent believing he could win in 2020.

On the issue of the benefits cap – which limits how much people can claim in welfare and out of work payments – Labour voters were at odds with Mr Corbyn.

The Labour leader is opposed to the benefits cap completely, but 54 per cent of party voters backed the plans, with just 28 per cent against.

Of Conservative voters, 84 per cent back the cap, with 68 per cent of all voters in favour of the policy.

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