Opposition leader Corbyn appeals to Britons to vote 'In' for EU
Britain's main opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, appealed to leftist voters on June 2 to back "In" at a referendum on EU membership this month, defending immigration and rejecting criticism that he is not campaigning hard enough.
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Strategists of the In campaign say Corbyn, elected leader of the Labour Party last year on a wave of enthusiasm for change, may help convince thousands of undecided voters in the north of Britain to back remaining in the EU and persuade younger supporters to vote at the referendum on June 23.
Those voters could break a deadlock in polls which suggest that Britons are largely split over which way to vote, with some signs of a shift toward leaving the bloc, fueled by days of headlines warning of near-record high levels of immigration.
Corbyn, who voted "No" to the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community, in a 1975 referendum, said the blame for problems caused by immigration lay not with the EU, but with the Conservative government and employers.
"Let's not turn this into blaming people who travel, work and migrate around Europe," he told Labour members and supporters.
"Let's instead ensure governments respond to the needs of all communities and that unscrupulous employers that are grossly exploiting migrant workers and trying to limit their rights need to be dealt with."
