Labour plot to derail the Great Repeal Bill

Watson says Labour is party of ‘soft Brexit’ as it demands series of changes to Government’s plans

LABOUR will next week unveil plans to block Theresa May’s Great Repeal Bill after Tom Watson said they are now the party of “soft Brexit”.

The party’s deputy leader said Labour will support Britain staying part of the customs union and single market during any transition, and hinted it may support indefinite membership.

Labour will seek to derail the bill by demanding a series of changes to win its support for the plans, which will be brought before MPS later this month.

The party is expected to set out conditions on workers’ rights, how much power Government ministers will have to change EU laws once they are on the UK statute book and how the transition process will work after Britain leaves in 2019. It will not support the bill as it has been proposed by the Government, sources said, making it difficult for Mrs May to get it through the Commons if any of her own MPS rebel.

The plot has led to fears that Labour is seeking to block Brexit or delay the process and force the UK to accept concessions handed down by the EU.

Mr Watson branded Labour the party of soft Brexit – a step further than previous public statements made by Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary.

He told BBC Newsnight: “You have seen Keir Starmer’s statement, we think that being part of the customs union and the single market is important in those transitional times because that is the way you protect jobs and the economy, and it might be a permanent outcome of the negotiations, but we have got to see how those negotiations go.”

Sir Keir said the UK should transitionally remain in the trade organisations for up to four years after formally leaving the EU in 2019.

With such a tight majority Theresa May will need the support of all her MPS, including those who oppose Brexit, to get the legislation through.

But strong opposition on Labour benches could make it difficult for the Prime Minister and Mr Watson’s claim that the UK could remain in the single market and customs union “permanently” has led to fears that the party could try to block Brexit altogether.

The Great Repeal Bill is designed to copy and paste EU law into British law to provide continuity. The rules can then be amended or scrapped at a later date. But a Labour source warned the party has concerns about how much power will be left in the hands of Mrs May and her ministers.

If the bill fails to make its way through Parliament, the Government will be unable to transpose EU law onto the UK statute book and ministers argue this could lead to the UK crashing out of the union without enough control over the process. Labour has been criticised for shifting its position on Brexit after Jeremy Corbyn previously took a much harder line on leaving, calling for Article 50 to be triggered right away and claiming the country cannot stay inside the single market after leaving.

This is because of concerns that freedom of movement would still apply in this case, one of the drivers of the Brexit vote. However, Sir Keir has softened the party’s position and Labour now supports a transitional period, although Mr Watson’s remarks hint at an even more sceptical approach.