Alexander Downer, Australia’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, has declared that Australia would have to “substantially reduce” vital intelligence sharing with the UK in the event of a Corbyn premiership. Australia is one of the ‘five eyes’ nations which undertake incredibly close anti-terrorism intelligence sharing between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If Australia were to step back from the UK it’s likely the other countries in the alliance would do the same. Speaking to the National Press Club in Canberra, Downer said:

“Under a Corbyn government, they will abandon the support for the Western Alliance and steer a completely different foreign policy and security policy direction to such an extent that I think we would be unwise to continue the intelligence-sharing relationship with a Corbyn-led Britain of the kind that we’ve had … under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair and so on over the years.