Labour should apologise over Brexit stance, Starmer told

SIR KEIR STARMER has been told by three former frontbenchers that Labour must apologise for its position on Brexit at the last election in order to win back voters who deserted the party.

Ian Lavery, Jon Trickett and Laura Smith, who were in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, said working- class Leave voters remain “highly sceptical” about Labour, which went into the election promising a second referendum.

Sir Keir, who was Mr Corbyn’s shadow Brexit secretary, played a major role in getting the party to campaign for another vote. The party’s Brexit policy was seen as one of the contributing reasons for Labour losing the election.

Writing for Huffpost UK Mr Lavery, Mr Trickett and Ms Smith, who lost her

‘To rebuild trust that has been lost and restore people’s trust in politics Labour should say sorry’

seat in the election, said: “Labour got it wrong on a second referendum.

“The party went against one of the only times in recent history that people felt they could finally express their justified anger at the present political system. To rebuild trust that has been lost and restore people’s trust in politics, Labour should say sorry.

“This is not only about Labour winning elections but restoring faith in democracy.”

The former shadow ministers made the comments in the lead-up to the launch of a report called No Holding Back, which is the result of 50 virtual events with Labour groups.

“We do not believe that the party can move on until it has put this issue behind us,” they said.

“For those who will say that the matter is behind us and we should move on, we say it will not do to whitewash or to ignore the recent past.

“The country, our voters and our activists all deserve an explanation and perhaps an apology by the party for our actions in the years after the referendum up until the December election.”