McDonnell pledge on ‘terrifying dream of no deal’

THE Shadow Chancellor has said Labour will do everything it can to prevent a no-deal Brexit which allows Tory backbenchers to fulfil a “full blooded neo-liberal dream”.

Speaking on the final day of the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee yesterday, John McDonnell said the party would move to prevent such an outcome ahead of further votes on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at Westminster this week.

“Over the next few days there is nothing more urgent than making sure the extremists on the Conservative backbenches don’t get to fulfil their terrifying dream of a no-deal Brexit,” he said.

“Their motivation is not about respecting the referendum decision. They might proclaim it’s about sovereignty and democracy, but the reality is it’s about fulfilling the full blooded neo-liberal dream that they have harboured for the last four decades.

“A fantasy of turning our country into a tax haven off the coast of Europe, with workers’ rights and environmental protections torn up in their deregulated Britain post-Brexit.

“We know what a catastrophe that would be for the jobs and livelihoods of our people. Labour will be doing everything we possibly can to make sure this never comes to pass”.

Mr McDonnell also accused Philip Hammond of going “missing” and said his legacy would be one of austerity and low growth.

“We needed a Chancellor who will stand up to block the worst fantasies of the Tories’ backbench zealots becoming a reality, but Hammond has gone missing,” he said.

“He’s refused to force them to take the catastrophic no-deal Brexit off the table, he’s refused to take on the Tory ministers who are threatening British manufacturers with a disastrous zero-tariffs regime and he’s failed to fix the fundamentals of the economy to prepare for the worst.”

He added: “It’s difficult to find anyone with a similar disaster rating of failing Grayling but Hammond is coming pretty close.”