Diane Abbott appeared to inch Labour closer to backing a second referendum today by saying it may be “the only option” to break Brexit deadlock.
The shadow home secretary spoke out after Conservative Amber Rudd became the first Cabinet minister to say openly there is a “plausible argument” for the public to decide.
The interventions by two of the most senior women in politics follow concern there is no majority in Parliament for Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement or for any other Brexit blueprint.
“It may be that that is the only option available,” said Ms Abbott, a close ally of leader Jeremy Corbyn. She went on: “The leadership sticks by the policy, and the policy is we have not taken a second referendum off the table.”
The remarks come three days after The Londoner in the Standard said Ms Abbott, behind closed doors, was “vociferously” backing a referendum. Her words will be seen as highly significant because Mr Corbyn’s reluctance to endorse a second referendum is the biggest hurdle in the way of the People’s Vote campaign for a national poll with Remain as one of the options.
Labour’s leader insists his priority is the downfall of the Government but he has refused to table a confidence vote that would settle whether he has the ability to oust it.
Ms Rudd’s separate call was hailed as a “massive moment” by campaigners. Tory ex-minister Anna Soubry praised the Work and Pensions Secretary for a “brave and principled” stand.
Ms Rudd told ITV’s Peston last night: “I don’t want a People’s Vote, or a referendum in general, but if Parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it.” She called for an indicative vote in the Commons on different options.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom, a Brexiteer, hit back at Ms Rudd this morning, telling Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it would undermine the biggest democratic exercise ever, where we had a clear majority to leave the European Union.
“To have a second referendum would unfortunately be going back to people and telling them they have got it wrong and they needed to try again. I think it would be unacceptable.”
She confirmed she had been looking at a “managed no-deal” Brexit. However, that was dismissed as a “fantastical mythical creature” by Cabinet colleague David Gauke in yesterday’s Standard.
Labour’s Owen Smith, of anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: “Rudd may be the first Tory Cabinet member to say she’d rather have a People’s Vote than allow a catastrophic no-deal to unfold, but she won’t be the last. This is a massive moment for our campaign.”
