Corbyn’s policies on Brexit face new pressure

Top Northern politician calls to extend Article 50

JEREMY CORBYN is under increasing pressure to change Labour’s Brexit policy as the North’s most senior metro mayor today backs an extension of Britain’s EU membership to guard against a no deal withdrawal, if necessary.

Andy Burnham will say emergency measures should be put in place if MPs vote down any agreement Theresa May achieves after negotiations with the EU – an increasing possibility with several Tory Remainers and Brexiteers opposed to her Chequers plan.

And if the EU turns down any attempt to extend the Article 50 exit process, the Greater Manchester Mayor would back a second referendum on the final terms of withdrawal, despite his reservations that it may turn voters further against politicians.

The GMB, one of Britain’s biggest unions and a major Labour donor, yesterday called for a public vote on the final Brexit deal.

And Labour could face a concerted effort to change party policy at its conference later this month, with pro-EU MPs reportedly poised to strike, the Royal College of Midwives and TSSA union also backing a second vote, and unions set to debate their position at the TUC annual congress in Manchester this weekend.

If Mr Corbyn’s Labour was to back a second referendum it could dramatically shift the Brexit debate as the clock ticks down to November’s deadline for a deal.

And it comes as analysis by the pro-”People’s Vote” Best for Britain campaign suggested 1.6m voters have shifted from Leave to Remain, taking into account people switching in both directions – enough to overturn the 2016 referendum in a new poll.

Mr Burnham will use his first major speech in Westminster since becoming Mayor to paint a stark picture of the “double digit damage” a no deal Brexit could do to the economy in the North.

But he described a “polarised no deal/People’s Vote dynamic” as “the biggest danger facing British politics”, arguing instead for a “common-sense Brexit deal” that protects businesses and consumers while allowing the UK to better control immigration.

Mr Burnham will argue this means “building up” from Chequers rather than “watering it down”, while admitting that looks ever more unlikely. “The odds on a no-deal outcome are growing every day, so we need a contingency plan,” he will say.

“As soon as it becomes clear that MPs who oppose a no deal Brexit cannot unite around another plan, they should call for an extension of Article 50 beyond the March 29 exit deadline.

“If that fails and we are left on the cliff-edge of no deal with no other options, then and only then would I endorse the call for a People’s Vote.”

Mr Burnham will also call for further devolution, as Yorkshire leaders wait for the Government to respond constructively to demands for a One Yorkshire deal.

He will say it is “dangerous” to ignore the “deeply-held sentiment” expressed in the referendum that certain areas have been neglected by Westminster.

THE BREXIT Secretary yesterday claimed a no deal withdrawal from the EU could provide “opportunities” for Britain.

Dominic Raab told the House of Commons Britain would be “ready for Brexit, deal or no deal”.

Mr Raab said he and other Ministers have had more than 60 engagements with European counterparts since the publication of Theresa May’s under-fire Chequers proposals and had received “a wide range of positive and constructive feedback”, while acknowledging that some elements of the plan were “challenging” for some EU countries.

The Prime Minister is expected to attempt to try and go over the head of European Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who opposes much of her plan, directly to EU leaders at an informal summit in Salzburg on September 20.

But if no deal can be reached by the November deadline, Mr Raab claimed there would be “countervailing opportunities”.

“We would be able to lower tariffs and negotiate and bring into effect new free trade deals straight away,” he said.

“There would be the immediate recovery of full legislative and regulatory control, including over immigration policy, and – whilst mindful of our legal obligations a swifter end to our financial contributions to the EU.”

But it came as fresh warnings about the impact of a no deal Brexit were issued about the farming and food sector

The CLA, which represents 30,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses in England and Wales warned of “extremely serious” consequences and a “significantly negative economic effect”.

CLA President Tim Breitmeyer said: “Farmers and other rural businesses rely heavily on fric- tionless trade and movement of goods across EU borders.

“A relationship which imposes barriers to trade or excludes agrifood would put at risk farming businesses both here and in the EU and have a devastating impact across rural economies.”

The ResPublica think-tank said no deal risks creating a “dangerous two-tier food system” that divides the rich and the poor, with the less well-off potentially forced to accept lower standards.

The report, sponsored by the British Poultry Council, said that despite the Government’s commitment to maintain food standards after Brexit, there is a “real danger” they could be reduced.

“The UK could increasingly become a country divided by its consumption of food. When the increased costs of production are passed on to consumers through higher prices, lower-income consumers may be left unable to afford fresh British chicken.”