Eu Summit: Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will back EU membership despite Cameron's 'tinkering'

The Labour Party will campaign to keep Britain in the EU, despite the "sideshow" over David Cameron's deal over reforms, Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed. In a statement, Corbyn said: "We will be campaigning to keep Britain in Europe in the coming referendum, regardless of David Cameron's tinkering, because it brings investment, jobs and protection for British workers and consumers."

The Labour leader was dismissive of the deal Cameron hammered out over changes to Britain's terms with other European leaders in Brussels this week, however, claiming that they are "largely irrelevant" to the British people. He said: "Despite the fanfare, the deal that David Cameron has made in Brussels on Britain's relationship with the EU is a sideshow, and the changes he has negotiated are largely irrelevant to the problems most British people face and the decision we must now make.

"His priorities in these negotiations have been to appease his opponents in the Conservative Party. He has done nothing to promote secure jobs, protect our steel industry, or stop the spread of low pay and the undercutting of wages in Britain. Labour's priorities for reform in the EU would be different, and David Cameron's deal is a missed opportunity to make the real changes we need."

Labour quiet on EU vote

Labour is broadly speaking keeping quiet over the EU referendum. Certain notaries like Kate Hoey and Frank Field are known eurosceptics, alongside a handful of other backbenchers, including Graham Stringer and Kelvin Hopkins.

The Labour Leave campaign, launched last month, headed by Hoey, has accused Jeremy Corbyn and his friend and shadow chancellor John McDonnell of abandoning their own previously held eurosceptic opinions now they are in a position of leadership.

"We were joined on many occasions over the last 20-odd years in the lobby when we were doing our bit to oppose the various treaties and issues which were furthering EU domination of our country. Jeremy was always with us and John McDonnell was always with us," said Hoey, who believes the EU to be "anti-democratic and anti-socialist" and that historical Labour figures like Tony Benn and Hugh Gaitskell would also back the out campaign.