Labour’s vague single market stance was key to its success

LABOUR’S refusal to admit that the party would take the UK out of the single market was key to its success at the 2017 general election, a new study suggests.

Voters viewed Jeremy Corbyn’s party as the “best bet” for maintaining close ties with the European Union despite its “ambiguous” position on the single market.

Academics from the British Election Study (BES) team said data suggested Labour won over “large numbers” of Remain backers from the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats at the snap election on June 8. Meanwhile, more than 50 per cent of all voters who backed Remain gave their support to Labour at this year’s poll.

Labour’s manifesto pledged to retain the benefits of the single market but Mr Corbyn has subsequently confirmed that the UK would leave under a Labour government.

That has left Mr Corbyn open to accusations of betraying voters in the same way that he has been criticised for suggesting prior to the election that he would wipe historical student debt before then saying that he had not promised to do so.

Professor Ed Fieldhouse and Chris Prosser, members of the BES team from the University of Manchester, wrote: “Despite an ambiguous position on the single market, Labour was seen as the best bet for those wanting to keep closer ties with our European neighbours.”

Labour’s position on Brexit has descended into chaos in recent weeks as senior figures contradicted Mr Corbyn by suggesting that the option of staying in the single market should not be ruled out.