Corbyn urged to sack rebels who vote for withdrawal bill today

JEREMY CORBYN has been urged to sack any frontbenchers who rebel to back the Brexit repeal bill in a House of Commons vote today or Labour’s shift towards a “softer” Brexit will be seen as a “sham”.

Labour has decided to vote against the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill at second reading, its first Commons stage, arguing so-called “Henry VIII” powers in the legislation amount to a Government power-grab.

But Brexit-backing backbencher Kate Hoey has warned her own party that opposing the Bill at such an early stage amounts to “betraying the will of the British people”, highlighting the difficulty faced by Labour MPs who represent Leave areas in today’s vote.

In June, Mr Corbyn sacked three Shadow Ministers who were among the 50 MPs who defied the party whip to back a motion calling for Britain to remain in the single market. But in a dramatic policy shift last month, Labour committed to membership of the single market and customs union during a transition period after the UK’s official exit from the EU in March 2019.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake urged the Labour leader to be just as “ruthless” in today’s vote as he was in June or risk undermining his party’s softer Brexit stance.

Conservative MPs are expected to back the Bill today, making its passage apparently safe, but they have signalled that they could rebel to back amendments at later stages.

Mr Brake said: “Any frontbenchers who defy the party whip should be sacked, or else Labour’s recent shift towards supporting a softer Brexit will be exposed as a sham.”