BREXIT would set the Tories free to light a bonfire of workers’ rights, Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) warned yesterday as he made the “socialist case” for remaining in the European Union.

The Labour leader predicted legislation on equal rights, maximum working hours, paid holiday and agency workers would all be set ablaze if there is a Leave vote on June 23.

He conjured a nightmare scenario of a government led by Boris Johnson and backed by Nigel Farage that would “negotiate the worst of all worlds — a free market free-for-all shorn of rights and protections.”

Like his political mentor Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn voted against Britain’s membership of the fledgling EU in 1975, which he described yesterday as a “much smaller, purely market-driven arrangement.”

And he said: “I remain critical of its shortcomings, from its lack of democratic accountability, to the institutional pressure to deregulate or privatise public services.”

But he argued that forming progressive alliances with other socialist-led EU governments, such as Portugal’s, could lead to a reformed EU.

“Working together in Europe has led to significant gains for workers here in Britain and Labour is determined to deliver further progressive reform in 2020, the democratic Europe of social justice and workers’ rights that people throughout our continent want to see,” he said.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said Mr Corbyn’s warnings over workers’ rights were real.

“Many of the biggest cheerleaders for Brexit have spent years dismissing rights like paid leave and maternity protections as ‘red tape’ to be binned,” she said.

“So we know from their hostility that the threat to workers’ rights if we leave the EU is very real.”

Brendan Chilton of Labour Leave hit back yesterday, saying Mr Corbyn would not be advocating a Remain vote if he was not leader. He told the Star: “The EU has done nothing to protect workers’ rights.

“Zero-hours contracts and attacks on the trade union movement have taken place despite our EU membership.

“Jeremy has been anti-EU through all of his political career and many Labour voters oppose our EU membership.

“Labour is risking alienating these voters if we do not respect their opposition to EU membership.”