The Prime Minister has a slippery relationship with the truth - Labour MPs can't trust him.
Rumours currently gripping Westminster suggest that Boris Johnson might have a majority in parliament for his proposed deal. The most speculation, however, surrounds the Labour MPs that may vote for it.
As a Labour member, I write to ask Labour MPs not to vote for whatever deal Boris Johnson brings to parliament. Because even if they want a deal with the EU – a Boris Johnson deal, brought by a man who has made a career out of being a liar, should go against everything every Labour MP stands for.
If there’s one thing we know for sure about Boris Johnson, it’s that he can’t be trusted.
He was sacked from the Times for lying. Sacked as Shadow arts minister for lying. He lied about there being £350m for the NHS. He claimed he had never said that the Police investigating historic child sex abuse claims was “spaffing money up the wall” – there is a video of him saying exactly that. Most recently, the highest court in the country ruled that he deliberately misled the queen.
It’s clear that no one can trust Boris Johnson – especially those within Labour. We especially can’t trust empty words that environmental protections and workers rights will be protected if we leave the EU.
This is a man who has previously said that climate science is “without foundation”. 80% of environmental legislation comes from the EU – Labour MPs can’t trust that a Boris Johnson deal would protect any of this. They also can’t trust that workers rights will be protected, as Johnson himself has repeatedly spoke out against EU employment law, saying in 2012 the EU should “Boil it down to the single market. Scrap the social chapter.”
Furthermore, we know that all Labour MPs care about protecting the NHS, it is intrinsic to the values of the party, but that too is at risk in a Boris Johnson Brexit. The think tank Boris Johnson and his chief Brexit negotiator helped launch said “health services are an area where both sides would benefit from foreign competition”.
It’s clear that Labour MPs cannot trust any of Boris Johnson’s promises or assurances. It would be naive, and ignorant of everything we know about Boris Johnson as a person and a politician to do so. Many of the paths that he could take after his deal was passed could be devastating for the country and particularly what the Labour Party stands for.
Labour MPs should want no part in helping Boris Johnson on his way, and making it easier for him to continue his right wing programme of government. Even if they are in favour of Brexit, they should not be supportive of a Boris Johnson one.
Boris Johnson wants Labour MPs to vote for his deal, and as Labour, we should never do what Boris Johnson wants. I hope any Labour MPs thinking about voting for whatever deal he brings back will reconsider.
Isobel Housecroft is a member of the Labour Party and an activist for For our Future’s Sake.
7 Responses to “Why no Labour MP should vote for Boris Johnson’s deal”
nshgp
Good, we need the deal rejected. There’s no way that the EU will agree to any extensions either. Not with UK law as it is, and that the Benn bill is illegal. Currently EU law has supremancy, and its incompatible with A50. A50 says we can leave with or without a deal. The Benn bill says we can’t and so is ultra vires.
David
Every Labour MP that votes against a deal is responsible for the fallout if we subsequently crash out without one.
Chester Draws
Labour wouldn’t work with May, which is one of the reasons we are in this pickle. How is not working with Johnson going to help things further? For all the talk of a government of national unity, Labour are incapable of putting their factional squabblings aside. Boris “can’t be trusted” is just bluster. May could be trusted, but that made no difference, did it? Boris isn’t an autocrat, and there are plenty of Tories Remainers who would make sure he went through with any deal agreed.
Are voters going to reward the Labour Party for it’s ideological purity of never working with the Tories, or do they actually want them to get it together? Except, it appears, that what voters want is not how the Labour Party play the game any more. Not even what their own voters want.
John PReid
Analyse whats proposed argue if the legislation works
Then when through
Out to the electorate with a general election
Let the public decide whether it’s worth having him as pm
Julia Gibb
https://twitter.com/byrnesong/status/1180493487566983169
200,000+ Scots Marched through Edinburgh yesterday in support of Independence. Labour branch office still puzzled by the rejection of voters.