Labour backbencher slams party for ‘guerrilla warfare’ against Brexit Bill

A FORMER Labour minister yesterday accused his party of “guerrilla warfare” after the latest parliamentary attempt to sabotage the Government’s Brexit plans.

Senior backbencher Frank Field hit out at colleagues for tabling dozens of amendments to David Davis’s EU Withdrawal Bill.

The legislation, designed to end Brussels rule over the UK on exit day and ensure a smooth legal transition, passed its Commons second reading earlier this week.

But Brexit supporters fear proBrussels MPs will wreck the measure with a series of amendments.

The MP for Birkenhead is now proposing his own Bill to help the Government to leave the EU.

In a newspaper article yesterday, Mr Field wrote: “The Bill is huge and therefore gives a massive opportunity to those who say they accept the referendum decision but whose aim is to mess it up big time.

“The Bill I propose will allow the Government to get on with negotiating properly and stymie the guerrilla warfare campaign against implementing the wish of the British people to leave Europe.”

MPs voted by 326 to 290 in favour of the EU Withdrawal Bill on Monday night.

Mr Field joined six other Labour rebels in defying leader Jeremy Corbyn’s order to vote against the measure.

Former Labour Cabinet minister Caroline Flint, who abstained in Monday night’s vote, yesterday urged Labour MPs to co-operate with the Government to pass the Bill.

“Such vital, complex legislation demands an end to the trench warfare,” she wrote.

“Yes, the Bill has serious weaknesses, but they are issues that can be resolved – with co-operation.”