Corbyn accused of plotting to wreck Brexit
Labour MP launches attack on leadership amid fears its new ‘soft’ policy will lead to grassroots backlash
JEREMY CORBYN has been accused by Labour MPS of plotting to “wreck” Brexit after unveiling plans to keep the UK in the European single market and customs union indefinitely.
Labour risks alienating its own Eurosceptic voters after Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, yesterday repositioned it as the party of “soft Brexit”.
He announced that under a Labour government, the UK would stay in the single market and customs union during a transition period after Brexit. He said that if a deal could be struck with the EU over reforming free movement this could be extended indefinitely.
A Labour source said that the policy had been the subject of intense debate in the shadow cabinet in recent weeks amid fears that it will “close the door” on voters who back Brexit. Many of the party’s traditional strongholds in the North overwhelmingly voted Leave.
The new policy comes despite both Mr Corbyn, the Labour leader, and John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, previously making it clear that the UK will leave the single market.
Frank Field, a Eurosceptic Labour MP and leading figure in the Leave campaign, said there was a plot to “wreck” Brexit.
He said: “There are a lot of people around who are wolves in sheep’s clothing – their main intention is to keep Britain in the EU. They are pretending to help the process while seeking to wreck Brexit. A lot of Labour voters want us out of the customs union and the single market. They are going to get very angry with people who they begin to see are intent on messing up that process.” However, the change of policy was dismissed by pro-european Tory MPS, who pointed to Mr Corbyn and Mr Mcdonnell’s history of Euroscepticism. Nicky Morgan, a Tory MP and chairman of the Treasury select committee, told The Daily Telegraph: “Corbyn and Mcdonnell won’t stick to it because they don’t believe it.”
Anna Soubry, another pro-european Tory MP, said: “Labour’s playing a cynical game, the EU won’t abandon free movement. Corbyn and Mcdonnell are hard-left Bennite Eurosceptics. They’ve not changed their minds, they’re playing politics.”
Mr Corbyn said yesterday that he did not know how long any transitional period would last, saying it would be “as long as is necessary but time-limited”.
Asked whether the UK would continue to accept free movement and make payments into the EU budgets after March 2019 under Labour’s plans, he said: “Obviously, we have got to work out what the arrangements are during the transition period and make sure we reach agreement on that.
“Quite clearly, the priority has to be protecting jobs and also understanding the needs of EU nationals that are living here.” A Tory spokesman said: “The truth is Labour have no idea what they want and this is a weak attempt to kick the can down the road.
“Their leader can’t say they would end unlimited freedom of movement, they can’t decide whether we are leaving the single market and they have no vision for what Britain should look like outside the EU.”