Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
Cameras backstage catch Jeremy Corbyn in an unguarded moment [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
Footage has been shared with The Canary that captures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an unguarded moment. Taken backstage at an event to celebrate carers of sick and disabled loved ones, it’s a side of Corbyn largely absent from the media.
The footage
The film was shot by Katherine Jack, while she attended the event with her son. The Labour leader took a moment out to play with him, and Jack caught the moment on camera.
Writing about the encounter on Facebook, Ms Jack said:
My awesome little man just had a few minutes with JC, the press were allowed to stay for the first 15 minutes of the carers meeting with JC and they asked some bloody horrible questions!
? l asked him how he copes with the press and he said “with a lot of patience!” And he then winked. I love that man, he’s so calm and is exactly what this country needs!!!
Labour’s pledge to carers
Corbyn was attending the event to launch his pledge to carers. There are currently 6.5 million people in the UK who are caring for elderly, sick or disabled loved ones for 35 or more hours each week. If Labour wins the general election in June, Corbyn has pledged to increase the Carer’s Allowance by 17%.
Labour would fund the cost of £538m by scrapping the Conservative Party’s planned £650m cut to inheritance tax. Speaking of the pledge, the Labour leader said:
Britain’s social care crisis was made in Downing Street by cutting £4.6bn from council care budgets.
Millions of unpaid carers have been forced to fill the gap and put under even greater pressure as a result.
The care they give to the disabled, sick and elderly saves taxpayers £132bn a year. So we believe these unsung, unpaid heroes not only deserve our praise and recognition – they deserve better financial support.
We also think it’s only fair that this extra support for carers is funded by scrapping the Tory cut on inheritance tax, which will only benefit the wealthiest people in Britain.
The battle for Britain
The footage and the pledge serve as stark reminders of what is at stake on the 8 June election.
Voters will have to ask themselves a question: what kind of country do we want to live in?
Do we want to build a country which rewards cooperation, innovation, team work and excellence? Or continue our decline as a tired lackey of the United States, heaping reward on failure, and prioritising patronage over progress?
These are our choices. Five more years of Theresa May will ensure our departure from the European Union, likely trigger the break-up of the United Kingdom, and leave the UK a less fair, more unequal, and colder place. We can do better.
Get Involved!
– Register to vote in the 8 June general election.
– Discuss the key policy issues with family members, colleagues and neighbours. And organise! Join (and participate in the activities of) a union, an activist group, and/or a political party.
– Read more from The Canary on the 2017 general election.
– Read and support news outlets who hold power to account. Here are some we recommend. Please add more that you like in the comments:
The Canary, Media Diversified, Novara Media, Corporate Watch, Common Space, Media Lens, Bella Caledonia,Vox Political, Evolve Politics, Real Media, Reel News, STRIKE! magazine, The Bristol Cable, The Meteor,Salford Star, The Ferret.
Featured image via screengrab
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