Parliament must start talking about a second referendum on quitting the European Union, Labour’s Brexit spokesman demanded today.
Sir Keir Starmer said space must be created for a discussion around alternatives, and that includes another public vote. But so far party leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of dragging his feet over a second referendum amid fears that it could alienate some voters in Leave constituencies.
His stance has left him at odds with many of his MPs, party members and Labour voters, including in London. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir this morning put another public vote firmly into the spotlight just hours before Theresa May was expected to suffer a heavy defeat over her Brexit plan. He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “In the end it comes down really to: is there going to be a general election? That is one option. Is there some form of deal that people can coalesce around or should there be a public vote or a second referendum? We need to create the space for that discussion about the credible alternatives.”
Pressed on his preference, he added: “We can’t have no deal and therefore we need to find a majority for something else. Our party conference set out the option of a public vote, a second referendum, and obviously that has got to be discussed.”
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said his party was “deadly serious” about tabling a motion of no confidence in the Government, which is expected to happen swiftly if Mrs May loses the vote tonight. He also emphasised that her attempts to woo union leaders to gain backing for her deal appeared to have been rebuffed.
He told Sky News: “What she has done, she’s brought a few people in, a selected number of MPs, and rang some trade union leaders and got short shrift.”
The GMB tweeted this morning: “Whichever way we voted, we didn’t vote for Theresa May’s bad Brexit deal.” It wants the public to have the “final say” on the UK quitting the EU.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a backer of the People’s Vote campaign, said his party should commit to a second EU referendum by the end of this week.
