Corbyn faces calls to force no-confidence vote in Government
Senior party figures insist Labour has a duty to put up a fight after Mrs May’s ‘humiliation in Brussels’
JEREMY CORBYN has been urged by his deputy and the shadow Brexit secretary to table a vote of no confidence in the Government by Christmas, The Daily Telegraph understands.
Sources close to Sir Keir Starmer and Tom Watson claim the pair are pushing the Labour leader to table the motion on Tuesday.
A Labour whip is understood to have talked to several backbench MPS, suggesting Mr Corbyn could be bounced into calling for a vote over the weekend.
A source in the Government Whips’ Office told this newspaper that ministers expected a motion of no confidence to be put forward within days.
An insider close to Mr Watson said both he and Sir Keir had called for a vote to be held at the earliest opportunity when the shadow cabinet met last Tuesday, but their calls were rebuffed by “the usual suspects” close to Mr Corbyn, who feared that a motion would fail if it was tabled before Mrs May’s Brexit deal was brought back to Parliament. The Government source said: “The [Labour] leader’s office wants one thing and Starmer and co want something else.” A backbench MP close to Sir Keir said the vast majority in the party expected something next week, adding that delay was no longer tenable after Mrs May’s humiliation at the hands of EU leaders on Thursday.
They added that Chris Bryant, a backbench MP, was cheered at the most recent parliamentary Labour party meeting after urging Mr Corbyn to act. An ally of Mr Watson added: “Tom has spoke out strongly on the need for calling a vote soon. He and Keir were certainly clear on that. At a time of national crisis it is the duty of the opposition to put up a robust fight.
“The Prime Minister has seen 117 of her own MPS call for her to go … there’s no way her deal is getting through, but there are still some arguing that we should wait for the vote. We are already at a crossroads and we’re at serious risk of losing momentum.”
The source said the Prime Minister was expected to give a statement on progress in Brussels on Monday, which would be “totally chaotic” and present Labour with the opportunity to strike.
A Labour MP remarked: “This is the final week where we really have a chance to drag the Tories over the coals and take them into Christmas thoroughly depressed.” Separately, the SNP was preparing to ratchet up pressure on Mr Corbyn. Stewart Hosie, MP for
‘This is the final week where we can drag the Tories over the coals and into Christmas thoroughly depressed’
Dundee East, said the party was becoming increasingly frustrated at Labour’s inaction. “We would be very, very cross if Labour miss this opportunity,” he said.
Nigel Farage said last night that he believes the UK may face a second referendum in the coming months. Speaking at a Leave Means Leave rally, the former Ukip leader said campaigners should be prepared for a “worst case scenario” and “start forming branches and active groups all over this country”.
“We’ve got to re-engage with those millions of people who never voted in their lives before. We’ve got to connect with them. And if all our efforts come to nothing because we leave at 11pm on March 29, then so much the better.”
He added: “I think they will in the next few months betray us completely and let us be ready not just to fight back, but if it comes we will win it next time.”