Cameron — who was not attending the second day of the European Council summit in Brussels — was attending the first Prime Minister's Question Time since the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU on June 23.
"For heaven's sake man, GO!" Cameron lets rip at Corbyn — prob make him dig his heels in more. As PM hopes perhapshttps://t.co/YczY71QVf7
— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) June 29, 2016
Both Cameron and Corbyn had backed the Remain campaign, but Corbyn has been slammed for his lackluster backing for the campaign, which saw many Labour Party strongholds vote to leave the EU.
Cameron sounded sincere when he said Corbyn's survival not "in the national interest". Not political now. #PMQs
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) June 29, 2016
Oh I know where Cameron got that 'go, man' line he said to Corbyn: at the EU meeting yesterday when he he was told to clear off.
— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) June 29, 2016
As a result, 40 of his shadow cabinet resigned and he lost a vote of confidence by 172-40, leaving him leading a party without the support of his MPs.
Cameron, on the other hand, had led the campaign to remain in the EU, but failed to win sufficient concessions from Brussels to convince a skeptical public that they could remain in a reformed EU. He announced his resignation the morning the referendum result was declared (June 24).
As both men faced each other, it was Cameron who got the first dig in against Corbyn. Corbyn — referring to the referendum result — said: "The prime minister has two months left. Will he leave a one nation legacy and will that one nation legacy be the scrapping of the bedroom tax, the banning of zero hours contracts and the canceling of the cuts to Universal Credit?"
In a clear reference to Corbyn's lukewarm support for the Remain campaign — him being a lifelong Euroskeptic — Cameron said:
"We all have to reflect on our role in the referendum campaign. I know the honorable gentleman says he put his back into it. All I would say is I would hate to see him when he's not trying."
'For Heaven's Sake, Man, Go!'
When Corbyn ducked the accusation — failing completely to get a jibe in on the prime minister's resignation — and went on to slam Cameron's government over child poverty. Cameron retorted by telling MPs:
"If he's looking for excuses about why the side he and I were on about the referendum, frankly he should look somewhere else. And I have to say to the honorable gentleman, he talks about job insecurity with my two months to go, it might be in my party's interest for him to sit there, it's not in the national interest. And I would say: for heaven's sake, man, go!"
He is bullishly sticking to his guns in saying he won the leadership contest with overwhelming popular support among Labour Party voters and the unions. His MPs believe he is unelectable and are calling for him to go now.
Meanwhile, the ballot opens Wednesday (June 29) on the Conservative leadership challenge, with up to nine possible contenders, including former London Mayor Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Theresa May.
