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Corbyn pressed by senior Labour MPs to back a second referendum Corbyn pressed by senior Labour MPs to back a second referendum
(about 1 hour later)
Jeremy Corbyn is under huge pressure from within his party to swing behind a second referendum, after Labour fell to third place behind the Liberal Democrats in the European elections. Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to fully back a second referendum, after senior Labour figures called for a people’s vote in response to a poor performance in the European elections.
The Labour leader promised to think about the party’s Brexit policy, as Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, called for a clear shift in favour of a people’s vote with Labour campaigning to remain. The Labour leader pledged to consider the party’s policy on Brexit, as the shadow cabinet ministers Emily Thornberry, Diane Abbott, Tom Watson and Shami Chakrabarti all called for a clearer position on backing a second referendum.
Corbyn said: “With the Conservatives disintegrating and unable to govern, and parliament deadlocked, this issue will have to go back to the people, whether through a general election or a public vote. Over the coming days we will have conversations across our party and movement, and reflect on these results on both sides of the Brexit divide.” “With the Conservatives disintegrating and unable to govern, and parliament deadlocked, this issue will have to go back to the people, whether through a general election or a public vote,” Corbyn said. “Over the coming days we will have conversations across our party and movement, and reflect on these results on both sides of the Brexit divide.”
With 10 of 12 regions counted, Labour was forced into third place with 14.6% of the UK vote. The party also came second behind the Liberal Democrats in Islington, the patch of both Corbyn and Thornberry. The demands for a second referendum grew after the party fell to third place in the European elections behind the Brexit party and Liberal Democrats.
Calls for a second referendum were led by Thornberry and Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, as well as some of Corbyn’s allies, including the trade union leader Manuel Cortes. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, also appeared to harden his position, tweeting: “Can’t hide from hit we took last night. Bringing people together when there’s such a divide was never going to be easy. Now we face prospect of Brexiteer extremist as Tory leader and threat of no deal, we must unite our party & country by taking [the] issue back to people in a public vote.”
Labour’s official line has until now been that a second referendum should remain on the table as an option only if a general election could not be achieved.
With 10 of 12 regions counted, Labour lost ground to both the Liberal Democrats and Greens, gaining 14.6% of the UK vote. The party also came second behind the Liberal Democrats in Islington, the patch of both Corbyn and Thornberry.
The push for the party’s policy to shift fully to a second referendum began on Sunday with Watson, the deputy leader, criticising Labour’s “mealy-mouthed” approach to the issue which pleases neither side.
After the close of polls, Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, also called for a clear shift in favour of a people’s vote with Labour campaigning to remain. “We went into an election where the most important issue was ‘what was our view on leaving the European Union?’ and we were not clear about it,” she told the BBC. “We were not clear on the one single thing that people wanted to hear and that wasn’t their fault.”
Abbott, the shadow home secretary, then added to calls for a rethink, saying: “We have to take the time to analyse the EU vote. But, when we come in third after the Brexit party, that is a clue something is wrong with our strategy. We need to listen to our members and take a clearer line on a public vote.”
Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, had said on Sunday that it was “past midnight” for Labour to change its policy in favour of backing a second referendum.
Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary and an ally of Corbyn, also responded to the result by suggesting Labour could shift more towards a second referendum. “I think we’ve got to understand now that a damaging dangerous no-deal Brexit is becoming more likely because of the changes in the Conservative party,” he told the same programme. “In those circumstances, we must do whatever we can and use whatever mechanism we can – yes including a public vote.”
David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, delivered a stinging critique of the party’s approach, telling the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it had “resuscitated the Lib Dems, handed votes to the Greens and facilitated Nigel Farage’s Brexit party.”David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, delivered a stinging critique of the party’s approach, telling the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it had “resuscitated the Lib Dems, handed votes to the Greens and facilitated Nigel Farage’s Brexit party.”
He called for “either an all-member ballot or a special conference but we simply cannot go on with this mealy-mouthed approach to a confirmatory vote.”He called for “either an all-member ballot or a special conference but we simply cannot go on with this mealy-mouthed approach to a confirmatory vote.”
He accused Labour of “hiding on the biggest issue of the day” and described it as the worst campaign he had seen in 20 years of politics.”He accused Labour of “hiding on the biggest issue of the day” and described it as the worst campaign he had seen in 20 years of politics.”
Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary and an ally of Corbyn, also suggested Labour could shift more towards a second referendum. “I think we’ve got to understand now that a damaging dangerous no-deal Brexit is becoming more likely because of the changes in the Conservative party,” he told the same programme. “In those circumstances, we must do whatever we can and use whatever mechanism we can – yes including a public vote.”
However, any move towards a second referendum would be strongly opposed by others in the party who believe it would cause a break with Labour’s traditional northern heartlands.However, any move towards a second referendum would be strongly opposed by others in the party who believe it would cause a break with Labour’s traditional northern heartlands.
Len McCluskey accuses Tom Watson of anti-Corbyn plotLen McCluskey accuses Tom Watson of anti-Corbyn plot
Jon Trickett, the shadow cabinet office minister who is close to Corbyn, retweeted a comment asking why Thornberry was “unilaterally disagreeing with party policy live on BBC when we all fought a general election on a manifesto to respect the result of the referendum.”Jon Trickett, the shadow cabinet office minister who is close to Corbyn, retweeted a comment asking why Thornberry was “unilaterally disagreeing with party policy live on BBC when we all fought a general election on a manifesto to respect the result of the referendum.”
Yvonne Fovargue, the Labour MP for Makerfield, pledged to maintain her opposition to a second referendum. She said: “We need to respect the result and leave the EU with a pragmatic deal.”Yvonne Fovargue, the Labour MP for Makerfield, pledged to maintain her opposition to a second referendum. She said: “We need to respect the result and leave the EU with a pragmatic deal.”
On Sunday, Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, accused Watson of using the issue of a second referendum to organise a challenge on Corbyn’s leadership, attacking him for being an ineffective Machiavelli.On Sunday, Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, accused Watson of using the issue of a second referendum to organise a challenge on Corbyn’s leadership, attacking him for being an ineffective Machiavelli.
LabourLabour
European parliamentary elections 2019European parliamentary elections 2019
Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn
Emily ThornberryEmily Thornberry
Tom WatsonTom Watson
European elections Diane Abbott
John McDonnell
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