OUR ROAD TO REMAIN

Pro-europe joy as Corbyn backs EU stay But Leaver MPS fear he’s risking votes

“We will give people the choice on this.” Some Labour Remainers warned that there must be no further clouding of the party’s position, after months of wrangling over Brexit. The lack of clarity was blamed for Labour’s disastrous showing at the EU elections, slipping to third behind the Brexit Party and the Lib Dems.

Phil Wilson MP said: “If Labour falls back into silence on Brexit, then the anger felt about the plans to exclude the people from deciding on our future will turn too on our party.”

But deputy leader Tom Wa t s o n , who has campaigned for a second vote, added: “Our members have been telling us for some time now they want us to be a Remain party, they want us to put the new deal to the people.

“We are now going to campaign for that.” Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer described the decision to back Remain as “a really important point of principle”.

But Brexit-backing MP John Mann warned the move would hand a gift to Theresa May’s successor. He said: “The one person who will be smiling at the announcement is Boris Johnson. I think it gives him a boost when he wins the Tor y leadership.” Johnson and rival Jeremy Hunt have both said they would try to get a fresh deal with the EU, but would leave without one if they failed to do so.

Mr Corbyn’s move came after unions this week backed Remain, but kept supporting a Leave vote on a Labour Brexit deal on the table. They urged the party to do the same and if it came to winning a general election, said that deal should be put to a referendum.

The Brexit Party branded Mr Corbyn’s announcement a “tragedy for millions of traditional Labour voters”. A spokesman said: “With this decision Labour have made it clear they are the party of North Hampstead and no longer the party of North Shields.”

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake added: “Labour are still a party of Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn can pretend all he likes the Labour Party are finally moving towards backing the Liberal Democrat policy of a People’s Vote.

“But it is clear it is still his intention to negotiate a damaging Brexit deal if he gets the keys to No 10.”

In some Leave-supporting seats in Labour’s heartlands, its majority is so strong even its commitment to Remain should not harm its electoral chances.

But in others, it would make slim advantages even more precarious.

Labour Leave areas include Sunderland, Stoke and Hull.

SUPPORT EU march in London

ALLY Ms Abbott