UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's change of heart on Britain's EU membership has been condemned as "completely disingenuous."
Making his first major speech of the referendum campaign on Thursday, Corbyn stood by past criticisms of the EU but said Britain had to remain in to fight for social reform.
Corbyn addressed his previous Euroscepticism, saying: "Over the years I have been critical of many decisions taken by the EU, and I remain critical of its shortcomings; from its lack of democratic accountability to the institutional pressure to deregulate or privatise public services."
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But his position was castigated by Jayne Adye, campaign director of leading cross-party, grassroots Eurosceptic group, Get Britain Out.
On Friday, she told this website, "I find Jeremy Corbyn's change of heart completely disingenuous. This is a man who has campaigned his entire political life for the UK to leave the EU, and campaigned for the principle of democracy. In the past, he has branded the EU 'crazy' and 'immoral'.
"His election as leader of the Labour party last year was hailed by his supporters as a mass democratic movement, but today we hear Corbyn no longer cares about the principle of democracy. This is not the new politics - this is the same old politicking."
Adye went on, "He accepts the EU still lacks democratic accountability, but believes we should stay in to reform the EU from the inside. Mr Corbyn, we have tried to reform the EU, and the Prime Minister came home with a so-called 'deal', which was quite frankly embarrassing. There is no more reform in the pipeline.
"His arguments about the EU are so short-sighted it is beyond belief. He wants to stay in because the EU has protected workers' rights. Those rights will still be protected after Brexit. The Remain campaign is not comparing like with like. This argument is premised on comparing EU workers' rights in 2016 with UK workers' rights in 1972."
She added, "The reality is Corbyn does not support the EU. He is trying to extend an olive branch to the Blairite faction in an attempt to win votes for the Labour party. Principle is more important than making friends with Chuka Umunna, Corbyn.
"Democracy is the most important gift we have. Perhaps for the moment the unelected EU Commission has brought in laws Jeremy Corbyn agrees with, but what happens when they introduce laws Corbyn doesn't support, as they have done previously. What will he do then? He won't be able to remove these laws - we will have given the power away. I believe in democratic government, therefore we must get the UK of the EU as soon possible."
However, support for Corbyn came from one of his Socialist MEPs, Julie Ward, who told this website, "The EU has been a project of peace, dialogue, and understanding, as well as economic and social progress. It has allowed Britain to look up beyond its borders, and made us richer both materially and culturally."
Ward added, "It has made the UK more influential, and enabled us to show greater solidarity with our neighbours, and them with us. Crucial areas like gender equality, workers' rights or the fight against discrimination would have suffered greatly in the UK, if it was not for EU action."
She said, "Jeremy is right to point out to British voters that if we want to make the world a better place, we need to more actively engaged in creating a people's EU that take its 21st century responsibilities seriously, especially with regards to issues such as climate change.
"Outside of the EU we will be diminished and can offer little hope for young people, for whom mobility, opportunity, dialogue, and the sharing of ideas and common dreams are important."
UK Labour MEP Linda McAvan said, "He was very clear about his own journey - voting no in 1975 but recognising now that the EU is the best framework to tackle common problems. So a clear message from Labour and major trade unions.Now we have to get out on the doorstep and win."
Her colleague David Martin commented; "I welcome Jeremy Corbyn's important intervention in the EU referendum debate. He is completely right to focus on the advances in worker's rights and national security at risk from Brexit, but I was also very pleased to hear his positive vision for a different, more social Europe led by the Labour Party and our centre-left allies.
If this crucial issue is reduced to a family drama within the Conservative Party then we risk losing all the important gains made by the EU over the past forty years. This once-in-a-lifetime question cannot be decided in a personality contest between two old Etonians. Today reaffirmed that Labour and its nine million voters will play a leading and essential role in this referendum campaign. "
UK premier David Cameron, manning the phones with former Labour leader Lord Kinnock and former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown at Remain campaign headquarters on Thursday, said: "I absolutely welcome Jeremy Corbyn's intervention.
"There are lots of things we disagree about, between Labour, Liberals, Greens and others, but the fact is we all come together to support the idea of Britain staying in a reformed EU."