Labour will reinstate Article 50 rebel MPs

LABOUR frontbenchers who quit in a row over the party’s approach to Brexit should be back in senior positions “within months”, Tom Watson has said.

The party’s deputy leader said it needed to take a sensible approach to dealing with the deep divisions among MPs over triggering Article 50.

At a conference in central London, Mr Watson said Britain must be open-minded about Donald Trump’s economic policies. He added that he hoped Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, would meet the US president when he travels to the UK for a state visit later this year.

Mr Watson said last night that Jo Stevens, who quit as shadow Welsh secretary, had a “very great role to play” in the future of the party.

He said: “I hope those colleagues who feel they need to leave the front bench because they feel strongly that they have to represent the interests of their voters don’t feel that this is the end.

“I hope that Jo Stevens will be back on the frontbenches in the months and years ahead.”

Mr Watson said that even though Labour had opposed Brexit, it was backing the legislation to start the Article 50 process because it is a party of democrats.

He said the UK should respond to Mr Trump’s “buy American” mantra with its own “buy British” policy. In a speech to the Co-operative Party Economic Conference in London, he said Brexit would free up the Government to favour British goods.

The deputy leader highlighted how the international trading agreements Mr Trump is ripping up had also been opposed by unions because they stop

‘I hope those colleagues who feel they need to leave the front bench ... don’t feel that this is the end’

countriesfor Condemningtheir “sneeringfrom protectingthe “chatteringderision” workers.over classes”calls to buy British, he insisted significant opportunities to boost business would be opened up when the country is freed from European Union red tape.

Mr Watson said later that he wanted Mr Trump to take up the offer to take him to a British mosque to show him the UK’s “multi-faith, multi-cultural” society.