We want the softest Brexit we can get, says Labour

LABOUR will bid to keep Britain tied permanently to the single market and EU laws after Brexit, the party revealed last night.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer tabled an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill which would commit the Government to pursuing ‘full access’ to the single market.

A source told The Times that it was an attempt to get ‘the softest possible’ Brexit.

The move is designed to prevent a major rebellion by Labour Remainers who support a Lords amendment designed to keep Britain formally in the single market.

Labour sources last night confirmed the party would not back a Lords amendment which would see the UK join the European Economic Area, like Norway, which has to accept free movement and has no say in EU rules.

Instead, they claimed they could negotiate full access to the single market without accepting free movement. They also said they could secure exemptions from the EU’s state aid rules and competition policy, despite them being central to the operation of the single market.

A source claimed the approach – likely to be debated in the Commons next Tuesday – would be ‘ more credible and effective’ than joining the EEA.

But Brexit minister Suella Braverman said Labour would be forced to accept free movement and legal oversight from European judges, adding: ‘Labour have shattered their promise to respect the referendum result – this amendment means accepting free movement and continuing to follow EU rules with absolutely no say in them.’

The intervention from Labour’s high command also failed to satisfy the party’s diehard Remainers.

Former Cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw said Labour’s position was ‘closer to the single market, which is welcome’. But he added: ‘If we’re serious about averting a hard Tory Brexit, we must vote for the existing back-bench crossparty Lords amendment.’ Former leadership contender Chuka Umunna also called for Labour MPs to be whipped to support the Lords amendment.

However, Jeremy Corbyn said: ‘We are confident we can build a new relationship with the EU. We want … a better deal than the Norway model.’

It came as MPs were told that losing key Brexit votes next week could have a ‘ catastrophic’ impact on the Government.

On Tuesday, Theresa May will seek to overturn attempts by the House of Lords to thwart Brexit as the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to the Commons.

A document circulating among pro-Brexit MPs sets out the damaging consequences of the 15 amendments to the legislation made by Remainer peers.

One amendment will give power to MPs to send the Prime Minister back to Brussels if they do not like the deal she negotiates.

This so- called ‘ meaningful vote’ amendment would give the Lords a potential veto over Brexit and could be used by the Commons to ‘ reverse Brexit’ at the last minute, the document warns. Another amendment removes the date of Brexit, March 29, 2019, from the Bill. A vote against the Brexit date would be ‘ catastrophic politically, damage Brexit and the chances of a good deal’, it says.