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Owen Smith promises a second referendum on Brexit deal if elected Labour leader | Owen Smith promises a second referendum on Brexit deal if elected Labour leader |
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Owen Smith has promised to hold a second referendum on any Brexit deal if he is elected leader of the Labour Party. | |
The leadership challenger, who announced he was running in the contest against Jeremy Corbyn and Angela Eagle on Tuesday morning, has said he will offer the public a chance to vote on any deal Britain strikes with the EU. | |
Mr Smith, who resigned as shadow Work and Pensions Secretary during the revolt against Mr Corbyn's leadership last month, has said the public will want "another chance" to vote on the deal. | |
"We should give them another chance," he told the Guardian: "That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear. The Labour Government should be committing to that. | |
"There are many people out there who voted in good faith for Brexit and who felt they were doing the right thing for their families and their communities and I respect them for taking that decision. | |
"But I think a lot of people I know are now saying to themselves, ‘It wasn’t the right decision.’ A lot of people are angry that they were quite clearly misled by the Brexit campaign." | |
He attacked Mr Corbyn's refusal to resign following the overwhelming vote of no-confidence. | |
Mr Smith called it "selfish" and said the party is "teetering on the brink of being destroyed". | |
The MP for Pontypridd urged his colleagues not to resign themselves to a split in the party and instead they must try to "wrest the steering wheel" from the people who are forcing Labour to "career towards a cliff". | |
He refused to be drawn on whether his fellow anti-Corbyn colleague, Angela Eagle, should resign but said it would be "ideal" if there was only one Stop Corbyn candidate in the race. | |
Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to allow Mr Corbyn an automatic place on the ballot - rather than gathering 51 MPs - by 18 to 14. | |
The decision means the future of the party's leadership will solely be up to the membership - but only members who joined before January. | |
The NEC made the decision to exclude the 100,000 new members who have joined the party since the leadership revolt began on 24 June. | |
People wishing to vote in the election can still pay £25 to register as a supporter over a two day period from Thursday to Saturday. | |
A petition, which has now reached over 30,000 signatures, was launched within minutes of the result being announced demanding that the decision be reversed. |