Corbyn backs new Brexit referendum
Jeremy Corbyn yesterday announced that Labour would back a second referendum as he attempted to stem the tide of defections over Brexit.
The Labour leader told MPs that if Labour’s own Brexit plan was rejected by MPs he would commit to a second vote to prevent a ‘‘damaging Tory Brexit’’, after nine MPs quit his party.
He also said Labour would support a backbench bid to take ‘‘no deal’’ off the table by forcing the PM to request an extension to Article 50.
Peter Kyle, a Labour MP leading a backbench effort to force a second referendum, said that there was ‘‘no turning back for Jeremy now’’.
However, Corbyn’s attempt at party unity appeared to prompt a new split, with a backlash from Labour MPs in Leave-voting areas. Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley, said there would ‘‘never be unity in the party’’ if it backed a referendum. John Mann, MP for Bassetlaw, Notts, told Corbyn: ‘‘The price that will be paid will stop you becoming prime minister.’’
Highlighting the scale of Corbyn’s change of position, Owen Smith, the Remain-supporting former shadow cabinet minister, said: ‘‘I believe I was sacked for advocating precisely this position.’’ Lucy Powell MP said after a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night that as many as 25 Labour colleagues could vote against a second referendum.
It came as The Daily Telegraph learnt the Government was planning to pay billions to settle large parts of the Brexit divorce bill even in the event of a no-deal exit. Senior Whitehall sources said ministers had signed off the decision ‘‘in principle’’ at a Cabinet committee meeting on no-deal preparedness.
Theresa May will today try to head off a rebellion by offering the Commons a vote on extending Article 50 in a fortnight if she has not secured a deal.
The PM has been warned that she will face a series of resignations unless she bows to demands to commit to extending Article 50 in the next 24 hours.
The Telegraph understands her offer is not enough to satisfy Remain-backing Cabinet ministers who want her to personally commit to delaying Brexit.
May returned yesterday from an EU-Arab summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where EU leaders spoke to her about extending Article 50.
Labour yesterday faced questions over what it might put on the ballot paper in the event of a new referendum. Labour committed only to putting a ‘‘credible Leave option’’.