McDonnell says no way out of Brexit under Labour – but party sources say door is still open

Brexit & Foreign Policy Left Foot Forward

"The leadership can say what they want but the membership is clear - Brexit is a disaster," a Labour source tells this site.

John McDonnell has suggested that a ‘People’s Vote’ should not include the option of staying in the EU, following negotiations last night over Labour’s Brexit policy.

After four hours of negotiations last night, senior party figures thrashed out a new compromise position on Brexit, which would commit Labour to backing a ‘People’s Vote’ if there is no prospect of a General Election. The motion will be voted on by delegates on Tuesday.

LFF understands that initial references in the motion about a referendum being solely on the terms of the deal were removed, following discussions between Brexit secretary Keir Starmer and anti-Brexit TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes.

That leaves the door open to a ‘People’s Vote’ having an option to stay in the EU – a key call of anti-Brexit campaigners.

But speaking this morning, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: “If we are going to respect the last referendum, [any future referendum] will be about the deal, it will be a negotiation on the deal” – lacking the crucial ‘option to Remain’ that pro-EU campaigners are demanding.

But speaking to Left Foot Forward, Remain Labour founder Andrew Lewin, who was part of last night’s negotiations, suggested McDonnell was preempting future discussions in the party.

He added that the motion was a ‘step forward’, with broad agreement across all wings of the party on the final wording after long talks that ran into the night.

Another Labour source who was in the negotiations told this site:

“The motion keeps all options on the table…The leadership can say all they want but the Labour membership is clear – Brexit is a disaster that needs to be stopped.”

David Lammy MP said not including an option to Remain in a ‘People’s Vote’ would be ‘farcical’:

Other anti-Brexit MPs remained defiant, suggesting the party had not yet come to an agreement on whether a ‘People’s Vote’ on Brexit should include the option to Remain:

Michael Chessum, National Organiser for left-wing anti-Brexit group Another Europe is Possible told LFF:

“This idea that any future referendum would not include a remain option is preposterous – if we’re committing to a public vote, it would be an insult to the public not to trust them with all options. All options are on the table and that includes staying in that EU.”

Remainers have on the whole welcomed Labour’s new compromise position of backing a ‘People’s Vote’ if there is no General Election. Writing before McDonnell’s comments were made, Labour for a People’s Vote backed the text:

On TalkRadio, McDonnell said that the motion was a ‘compromise’:

“What has come out of the spirit of the discussions is the way we can come together…The country is still split, it’s only the Labour party that can bring them together.

“It will be a traditional British compromise and that’s what people are all for.”

Best for Britain’s Eloise Todd said:

“It would be unthinkable for [a People’s Vote] to not include an option to stay in the EU, and not what the 90% of Labour members who back a People’s Vote would expect. Labour must listen to its members on this, and the vast majority of voters.”

The Lib Dems have leapt on McDonnell’s comments about the referendum wording to argue Labour offer no home to Remainers now:

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:

“Labour’s leaders are aiding and abetting Theresa May on Brexit. They’ve spent two years backing the Tories’ catastrophic Brexit and are even now trying to ignore their own members who want a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU…

“The only choice a ‘deal or no deal’ vote gives people is which foot to point the gun at.”

Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.

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