Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will back a second EU referendum after his alternative Brexit plan was defeated in the House of Commons.
The Labour leader said: “We will back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or a disastrous no deal outcome.” However, he added that the party would “also continue to push for the other available options” to prevent those outcomes, including a general election.
Sky News says the announcement “marks a significant shift in Labour's strategy”, but The Times suggests Corbyn’s statement was “ambiguous”.
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It came after the Labour Party’s proposal for a Brexit deal, based on a customs union with Europe, was defeated by 240 votes to 323. Ken Clarke, the Conservative former cabinet minister, rebelled to support Labour’s amendment while one Labour MP, Stephen Hepburn, voted against it.
MPs also rejected the Scottish National Party’s amendment ruling out a no deal Brexit under any circumstances by 288 votes to 324. However, Labour MP Yvette Cooper's amendment, which the government supported, was backed by 502 votes to 20.
Although the outcome of last night’s votes has seen Corbyn back a second referendum, some are already doubtful that he will see it through. The scepticism grew after frontbencher Richard Burgon continued to focus on Labour’s deal, rather than a second poll.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Disappointing that Labour’s Brexit motion didn’t pass. But given parliament looks set to extend Article 50, there’ll be further opportunities to secure support for Labour’s alternative Brexit deal.”
This lead to former shadow cabinet minister Owen Smith, a regular critic of the Labour leader, saying: "I expect Jeremy Corbyn to throw his full weight behind campaigning for a public vote.” David Lammy MP said it was clear that Labour’s alternative plan “cannot command a majority” and that MPs must “put this decision back to the people” in the form of a new referendum.
John McDonnell told ITV that “when the meaningful vote comes back” to MPs, “that’s the time when we will have to put the amendment up”.
However, to the dismay of those pushing for a second referendum, he continued to bang the drum for other options, adding: “We are still going to argue that we want a general election, we are still going to argue we think our deal that we have put up was the best option. But we realise we have got to break this deadlock.”