Conservative Party Conference: David Cameron attacks Jeremy Corbyn for being a 'terrorist-sympathiser'

Cameron took the remarks from an interview the new Labour leader gave to Iranian television in 2011

Rose Troup Buchanan
Wednesday 07 October 2015 11:53 BST
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Cameron used part of his speech to launch a blistering attack on the Labour leader
Cameron used part of his speech to launch a blistering attack on the Labour leader

David Cameron has launched a blistering attack on Jeremy Corbyn in his speech to the Conservative Party conference, labelling the new Labour leader's “ideology” as “security-threatening, terrorist-sympathising, Britain-hating”.

In a series of widely applauded comments by Tory delegates, the Conservative leader claimed "thousands of words have been written about the new Labour leader.

Cameron attack on Corbyn

"But you only really need to know one thing: he thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a 'tragedy'."

Mr Cameron continued: "No. A tragedy is nearly 3,000 people murdered one morning in New York. A tragedy is the mums and dads who never came home from work that day. A tragedy is people jumping from the towers after the planes hit."

"We cannot let that man inflict his security-threatening, terrorist-sympathising, Britain-hating ideology on the country we love," he finished to loud applause.

The Conservative leader's condemnation of Mr Corbyn's perceived remarks stems from footage of a 2011 interview with an Iranian news channel, The Agenda. In the interview, the then-Labour backbencher, introduced as a "outspoken rebel in the Labour party’s ranks”, says it was the lack of trial for Osama Bin Laden that was the "tragedy".

"There was no attempt whatsoever that I can see to arrest him, to put him on trial, to go through that process," he tells the interviewer.

Jeremy Corbyn speaking about Osama Bin Laden's death

“This was an assassination attempt, and is yet another tragedy, upon a tragedy, upon a tragedy.

“The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. Tens of thousands of people have died. Torture has come back on to the world stage, been canonised virtually into law by Guantanamo and Bagram."

Mr Corbyn's supporters were quick to respond to the PM's remarks, labelling them"disgraceful" and "personalised, playground style attacks."

In a Facebook post, published minutes after Mr Cameron's speech, supporters drew "similarity between the Prime Minister's words and those of the tabloid press, who have smeared Jeremy Corbyn throughout the summer and beyond.

"The motivations are the same: to drown out debate and make our arguments taboo."

Already, the post has attracted more than 2,000 "likes". It goes on to claim Mr Cameron "has a fight on his hands" and "we won't fight it by personalised attacks, we'll fight it by widening the debate and involving people, across communities and in workplaces, to create a better society."

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