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News > World

Jeremy Corbyn to Trump: 'Grow up,' Economy Depends on Migrants

  • British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

    British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn. | Photo: Reuters

Published 13 November 2016
Opinion

Corbyn noted that Mexico's treatment by the U.S., like the abusive treatment of Muslim-Americans, must be challenged.

While the British government congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential election, the head of the opposition, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, said he should "grow up" on the immigration issue and recognize that the U.S. economy depends on migrant workers.

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"The treatment of Mexico by the United States, just as much as its absurd and abusive language towards Muslims, is something that has to be challenged," Corbyn told the BBC Sunday.

“Donald Trump should grow up and recognize the American economy actually depends on migrant labor.”

The leftist leader went on to describe the “absolute anger and outrage” felt by his Mexican wife Laura Alvarez and her family at President-elect Trump’s proposals to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. “I’m looking forward to the conversation between my wife and Donald Trump.”

While admitting it was a surprise victory for the real estate billionaire, Corbyn said it was the result of the anger in states where people’s economic struggles and lack of jobs have not been addressed over the past eight years.

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“Trump decided to use the populist agenda. He blamed Muslims, Mexicans, he blamed women, he blamed anyone he could think of, except the very corporate America that in many ways he actually represents,” he stressed.

In his first reaction to the election of Trump, Corbyn said the surprise win was a warning to the West in that it is a rejection of the political and economic establishment, which echoed across many western nations.

The U.K. saw its own shocking vote this summer when the majority of people voted “Yes” to leaving the European Union amid a racist and xenophobic campaign that capitalized on people’s economic frustration.

The Labour leader’s comments came just hours before Steven Bannon – the founder of the U.S.’s far-right news website Breitbart who has been labeled a white supremacist by progressives – was named Trump’s chief strategist and senior counselor.

Breitbart is known for running racist, xenophobic and conspiracy theory stories. Bannon has been accused by his own wife of domestic abuse as well as harboring anti-Semitic beliefs.

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