Corbyn faces furious backlash over Brexit

JEREMY Corbyn sparked fury within his own party yesterday by vowing to go ahead with Brexit even if Labour wins a snap General Election in the New Year.

He faced a barrage of protest from Labour Remainers for seemingly shrugging off their mounting demands for a second referendum.

And he was accused of treating his own party with contempt after using a newspaper interview to signal his determination to press ahead with Brexit.

Labour moderate Chuka Umunna branded his stance ‘deeply depressing and disappointing’ and urged party members to back the so-called ‘People’s Vote’ second referendum. Labour MP Phil Wilson said: ‘A Remain party led by a leader prepared to facilitate Brexit won’t end well for either the party or leader.’

Former Shadow Cabinet member Ian Murray condemned Mr Corbyn’s stance as ‘utterly contemptuous of the party and a betrayal of the country’.

The row erupted after Mr Corbyn gave an interview to The Guardian indicating he would press ahead with Brexit even if he came to power in a snap Election. That was even though he acknowledged that ‘about 60 per cent of Labour voters voted Remain; about 40 per cent voted Leave’.

He indicated his priority would be to go to Brussels seeking a better deal than the one on the table. Asked about Labour’s stance on a second referendum, he said it would be for the party to decide but added: ‘My proposal at this moment is that we go forward, trying to get a customs union with the EU in which we would be able to be proper trading partners.’

Mr Corbyn fuelled fears that he favours Brexit by criticising Brussels rules on state aid, saying: ‘I don’t want to be told by somebody else that we can’t use state aid in order to be able to develop industry in this country.’ But Labour Remainers, who suspect Mr Corbyn in no way shares their enthusiasm for a second referendum, were furious. Liverpool MP Luciana Berger claimed public support for Labour would collapse if he brought about Brexit.

She tweeted: ‘Labour will never be forgiven… it’s been made patently clear that there isn’t a “better” Brexit.’

A Labour spokesman said: ‘Jeremy Corbyn was restating Labour’s policy of rejecting Theresa May’s botched Brexit deal, supporting a jobs-first alternative, pushing for a General Election and keeping all options on the table – including a public vote.’