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| Brexit: Labour still split over further referendum | Brexit: Labour still split over further referendum |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Labour MPs remain split over whether to back a further referendum on Brexit. | Labour MPs remain split over whether to back a further referendum on Brexit. |
| The party lost ground in the European elections, and some figures have called for a public vote to win back support, especially from Remainers. | The party lost ground in the European elections, and some figures have called for a public vote to win back support, especially from Remainers. |
| Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said another vote would be "the democratic thing to do" to move Brexit forward. | Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said another vote would be "the democratic thing to do" to move Brexit forward. |
| But Labour MPs representing Leave areas have warned against it, with Lisa Nandy saying it could be "the final breach of trust" with those voters. | But Labour MPs representing Leave areas have warned against it, with Lisa Nandy saying it could be "the final breach of trust" with those voters. |
| The party agreed a policy at its last conference that if Parliament voted down the government's withdrawal deal with the EU - which it has effectively done three times - or talks ended in no-deal, there should be a general election. | The party agreed a policy at its last conference that if Parliament voted down the government's withdrawal deal with the EU - which it has effectively done three times - or talks ended in no-deal, there should be a general election. |
| But if it could not force one, conference agreed that the party "must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote". | But if it could not force one, conference agreed that the party "must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote". |
| It reiterated this position ahead of the European elections, but Labour's share of the vote fell to 14% and several senior figures criticised a lack of clarity. | It reiterated this position ahead of the European elections, but Labour's share of the vote fell to 14% and several senior figures criticised a lack of clarity. |
| After the results, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his policy had been "very clear" all along - but he sent a letter to his MPs, saying it was "clear that the deadlock in Parliament can now only be broken by the issue going back to the people through a general election or a public vote". | After the results, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his policy had been "very clear" all along - but he sent a letter to his MPs, saying it was "clear that the deadlock in Parliament can now only be broken by the issue going back to the people through a general election or a public vote". |
| Shadow home secretary Ms Abbott insisted Labour was "moving towards a clearer line". | Shadow home secretary Ms Abbott insisted Labour was "moving towards a clearer line". |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is no inherent contradiction between respecting the result of the referendum and having a 'People's Vote' [or further referendum], not least because it's still not sure how a People's Vote would pan out. | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is no inherent contradiction between respecting the result of the referendum and having a 'People's Vote' [or further referendum], not least because it's still not sure how a People's Vote would pan out. |
| "I've always argued that it's perfectly possible that Leave would win again, but we're supporting a People's Vote strongly now because it's the right thing to do and it's the democratic thing to do." | "I've always argued that it's perfectly possible that Leave would win again, but we're supporting a People's Vote strongly now because it's the right thing to do and it's the democratic thing to do." |
| She added: "Our position is that ideally we want a general election - if we can't get a general election in time, we would support a People's Vote." | She added: "Our position is that ideally we want a general election - if we can't get a general election in time, we would support a People's Vote." |
| But Ms Nandy, the Labour MP for Wigan, said that for most of her constituents, the idea of another referendum "just seems quite absurd". | |
| She told Today that the European election results showed "very few people have changed their minds", and any shift in her area of the country was towards a no-deal Brexit - backed by Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, which secured 32% of the vote UK-wide. | She told Today that the European election results showed "very few people have changed their minds", and any shift in her area of the country was towards a no-deal Brexit - backed by Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, which secured 32% of the vote UK-wide. |
| She added: "There is a huge frustration amongst Labour voters who voted Leave in towns like mine to see leading figures from the Labour Party out calling for a second referendum before there's been any serious attempt to implement the result of the first." | She added: "There is a huge frustration amongst Labour voters who voted Leave in towns like mine to see leading figures from the Labour Party out calling for a second referendum before there's been any serious attempt to implement the result of the first." |
| Cabinet pressure | Cabinet pressure |
| After Monday's election results, shadow chancellor John McDonnell - one of Mr Corbyn's closest political allies - told the BBC another referendum may be the only way forward. | |
| Faced with the prospect of a "Brexiteer extremist" running the Conservative Party after the contest to replace Theresa May as leader, Mr McDonnell said Labour must back a fresh public vote to prevent a "catastrophic" no-deal scenario. | Faced with the prospect of a "Brexiteer extremist" running the Conservative Party after the contest to replace Theresa May as leader, Mr McDonnell said Labour must back a fresh public vote to prevent a "catastrophic" no-deal scenario. |
| Later, Mr Corbyn said there "has to be an agreement with the European Union and there then has to be a public vote". | Later, Mr Corbyn said there "has to be an agreement with the European Union and there then has to be a public vote". |
| Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said his party lost "many hundreds of thousands" of potential votes in the EU elections, arguing confusion over its Brexit stance had led to "electoral catastrophe". | Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said his party lost "many hundreds of thousands" of potential votes in the EU elections, arguing confusion over its Brexit stance had led to "electoral catastrophe". |
| But he welcomed Mr Corbyn "signalling that change was happening" with a shift towards a public vote on any deal. | But he welcomed Mr Corbyn "signalling that change was happening" with a shift towards a public vote on any deal. |
| Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair told Sky News Mr Corbyn "has got to come to a clear position". | Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair told Sky News Mr Corbyn "has got to come to a clear position". |
| "Both party leaderships have made the same mistake, which is to think that it's possible to sit on the fence on Europe and appeal to both sides," he said. "What the European elections show you is that isn't possible." | "Both party leaderships have made the same mistake, which is to think that it's possible to sit on the fence on Europe and appeal to both sides," he said. "What the European elections show you is that isn't possible." |
| 'Respect the referendum' | 'Respect the referendum' |
| Other members are concerned about the apparent move. | Other members are concerned about the apparent move. |
| Labour MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, Gloria De Piero, said the party should "respect the referendum result" and get a deal, rather than back another vote. | Labour MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, Gloria De Piero, said the party should "respect the referendum result" and get a deal, rather than back another vote. |
| Fellow backbencher Jo Platt, who represents Leigh - the neighbouring constituency to Ms Nandy - said the party "must provide answers" for voters, "not ask them to think again". | Fellow backbencher Jo Platt, who represents Leigh - the neighbouring constituency to Ms Nandy - said the party "must provide answers" for voters, "not ask them to think again". |
| And Caroline Flint - Labour MP for Don Valley in South Yorkshire - said another referendum was "seen by many Labour Leave areas as nothing more than a Stop Brexit mechanism". | And Caroline Flint - Labour MP for Don Valley in South Yorkshire - said another referendum was "seen by many Labour Leave areas as nothing more than a Stop Brexit mechanism". |
| But other national Labour figures are now backing the proposal. | But other national Labour figures are now backing the proposal. |
| Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford joined calls for a further referendum after Labour came third in the country, behind Nigel Farage's Brexit Party and Plaid Cymru - making it the first time that Plaid had beaten Labour in a Wales-wide election, and only the second time it had lost such a poll in a century. | Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford joined calls for a further referendum after Labour came third in the country, behind Nigel Farage's Brexit Party and Plaid Cymru - making it the first time that Plaid had beaten Labour in a Wales-wide election, and only the second time it had lost such a poll in a century. |
| He told BBC Radio Wales: "We were doing our best to respect the result of the original referendum [but] we're now in a position where things have changed fundamentally because the contest within the Conservative Party for a new leaders is becoming a contest between harder and harder forms of Brexit. | He told BBC Radio Wales: "We were doing our best to respect the result of the original referendum [but] we're now in a position where things have changed fundamentally because the contest within the Conservative Party for a new leaders is becoming a contest between harder and harder forms of Brexit. |
| "I have now concluded that the only way we can try to guarantee a future for Wales that would not be a catastrophe is to put this decision back to the people in a referendum." | "I have now concluded that the only way we can try to guarantee a future for Wales that would not be a catastrophe is to put this decision back to the people in a referendum." |
| Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also said he was "more and more compelled" to believe that there should be another vote after his party lost both its seat at the European elections. | Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also said he was "more and more compelled" to believe that there should be another vote after his party lost both its seat at the European elections. |
| The party came fifth with less than 10% of the vote - down from 26% in 2014. | The party came fifth with less than 10% of the vote - down from 26% in 2014. |