Labour to back Remain as it calls for second referendum

Jeremy Corbyn has challenged the next Tory leader to put their Brexit plan to a second referendum, and announced that Labour would campaign for Remain against any Tory offer.

In a letter to party members, Corbyn said: “Whoever becomes the new prime minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no deal, back to the people in a public vote.

“In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for Remain against either no-deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy and jobs.”

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The Times says the Labour leader’s move is in response to “months of increasingly public splits over the party’s Brexit strategy,” while The Guardian says Corbyn’s statement comes as Labour faces “intense pressure from more overtly pro-remain parties, including the Liberal Democrats”.

However, Sky News points out that Corbyn's letter “does not address what would happen with Brexit if Labour wins the next election,” which “leaves open the possibility that the party could pledge to negotiate its own set of terms with Brussels and leave on those terms”.

The BBC says: “There's always a ‘but’, it seems, when it comes to Labour and Brexit.”

However, the Labour peer Lord Adonis, a passionate Remainer and campaigner for a second referendum, said Corbyn’s letter is “unsatisfactory as it doesn’t rule out Labour seeking to negotiate a fantasy ‘better Brexit’ after a general election”. He also accused Corbyn of “weasel words” and “policy feints”.

Indeed, asked by the BBC if Labour was now a “leave or remain party”, the Labour leader said only that he would “give the people the choice” of whether to leave the EU, in a referendum. He added that Labour “at this moment” was determined to “do everything we can to prevent no deal and give people a choice”.

Nevertheless, one shadow cabinet member told The Independent, that the move was a “massive step forward” and that they would celebrate “seizing that ground”.

Writing for The Guardian, Gaby Hinsliff said: “If there is one thing left on which all Labour factions can agree, it’s a longing to move on from arguing about Europe.” But, she added: “On this evidence, they are likely to be disappointed for a while yet.”