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National
Jonathan Walker

Newcastle Labour activists submit motion to Labour conference demanding clear opposition to Brexit

Labour activists are calling on the party to come out clearly in favour of cancelling Brexit.

Newcastle North constituency Labour Party is one of a number of local parties to submit a motion to the Labour conference backing a policy of remaining in the EU.

They want Labour to confirm that it will hold a second Brexit referendum if it wins a general election - and to campaign for “remain” once any referendum takes place.

Earlier this week, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to say which side he might back in a future Brexit referendum.

He said he would offer voters a choice between cancelling Brexit, or leaving the EU with a deal negotiated by Labour.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (PA)

But asked which option he backed, he would only say: “I think the important thing is to put the offer before the people. They will make the choice and I will deliver it.”

Brexit will be one of a number of issues debated at Labour’s annual conference, which takes place in Brighton beginning Sunday.

Newcastle North’s MP, Catherine McKinnell, has been a vocal opponent of Brexit. However, local constituency parties are free to take a different view to MPs.

The motion states: “There’s no ‘good’ form of Brexit, it’s a right wing project and Labour must oppose it.

“The prospect of Brexit is already causing huge damage to our communities, with devastating job losses at Honda, Nissan and many more.”

And it calls on the party to “unequivocally commit to a confirmatory referendum with Remain on the ballot”, adding: “Labour must campaign to stay in the EU in that referendum.”

Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle Chronicle)

More than 90 motions are thought to have been submitted on Brexit, the majority supporting a remain stance.

Efforts to find an agreed form of words for a conference motion will take place at a behind-closed-doors meeting, with a vote on the party’s position expected on Monday.

While Mr Corbyn has refused to say how he would vote in a second referendum, other senior Labour figures including Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry have said they would campaign to stay in the EU.

Ms Thornberry is to take part in a rally on Saturday night in Brighton backing a second referendum. Sedgefield Labour MP Phil Wilson will tell the rally he is reviving his proposed Parliamentary amendment backing a referendum, once the House of Commons sits again.

He said: “If Boris Johnson is so confident that his version of Brexit is what the people want, he should have the confidence of his convictions and let the people be the ones to decide.

“A confirmatory referendum also has the advantage over other democratic solutions because it would provide a clear answer to the Brexit question. A General Election, for example, runs the risk of confusing the issue further and merely prolonging the crisis. Holding a confirmatory referendum will answer the question once and for all – where do the public want the country to go on Brexit?”

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn is expected to address a rally at The World Transformed festival which runs alongside the Labour event on Saturday night, while his keynote speech will bring the conference to a close on Wednesday.

More than 13,000 people are expected to attend the five-day conference in some capacity, including 1,200 voting delegates.

Labour general secretary Jennie Formby said: “This year’s conference in Brighton will see delegates take crucial votes to decide the direction of our movement, and how we deal with the tough issues that matter to us.”

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