Top Labour figures back second vote
TWO senior Labour frontbenchers have thrown their weight behind calls for a second referendum on a cross-party Brexit deal to gain the backing of their MPs.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer warned it was “impossible” to see how an agreement between the Conservatives and his party could clear the Commons unless it guaranteed the deal would be put back to the public for a “confirmatory vote”.
And Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson said he thought the way out of the impasse was a “confirmatory ballot” on Theresa May’s agreement, saying it would be “difficult” for his party to assist in the UK’s exit from the EU without another referendum.
Ahead of the continuation of cross-party talks yesterday afternoon, Sir Keir said that “probably 120 if not 150” of the party’s 229 MPs could vote against the deal unless it was linked to a second referendum.
And he said: “I’ve made it clear that at this stage, at this 11th hour, any deal that comes through from this Government ought to be subject to the lock of a confirmatory vote.”
Mr Watson said: “If a deal could be found that inspires enough votes in Westminster then fine, but it seemed to me that that’s very, very difficult.
“And so my idea of a confirmatory ballot is not a religious point or a point of ideology, it’s just how do you get an outcome, how do you sort this out?
“And one way to do it are these two minority positions – the Prime Minister’s deal and those that think the people should have a say on the deal – plug them together and you build a majority.”
Mr Watson also described Labour’s position in relation to the European elections as a “remain and reform” party.
Last month Jeremy Corbyn saw off an attempt to commit the party to a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal, and Labour will instead only back a fresh vote only if it cannot either win the changes it wants to Mrs May’s deal or secure a general election.
But the party leader came under fire from his own MPs on both sides of the Brexit issue at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night.
Pro-Remain MP Peter Kyle told the Labour leader the party’s message on a second referendum had been too complicated and had left voters confused.
“I urge you to simplify our policy so people realise we are speaking with absolute sincerity,” he told Mr Corbyn.
And the pro-Brexit MP John Mann called on Mr Corbyn to give Labour MPs a free vote on Brexit issues to reflect the divisions within the party and the country.
“Labour voters are divided in a very big way. If you don’t get this right you cannot be prime minister,” he told Mr Corbyn.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has said the idea of a confirmatory referendum was the “most outrageous proposal” he had ever seen and would lead to a group such as his own Brexit Party winning a majority in Parliament at the next general election.