EXCL Labour Brexit splits erupt as Chuka Umunna denies involvement in attack ad campaign
3 min read
Deep splits within Labour over Brexit have erupted after Chuka Umunna was forced to deny claims he was involved in an advertising campaign targeting his own party's MPs.
The billboards were put up in seats across the country in an attempt to force Labour MPs to speak out against the party's approach to leaving the European Union.
They were organised by the anti-Brexit 'Our Future Our Choice' campaign, which is demanding another EU referendum.
It emerged over the weekend that the group had to apologise for one advert showing shadow minister Preet Gill with masking tape over her mouth and asking who had "silenced" her on Brexit.
Critics said the ads, which have also targeted the likes of Nia Griffith and Diane Abbott, were misogynistic.
PoliticsHome has learned that several Labour MPs have accused Mr Umunna - a leading figure in the People's Vote campaign calling for another EU referendum - of knowing about the adverts in advance, and that the issue will be raised at tonight's meeting of the Parliamenatry Labour Party.
One shadow minister said: "It would be really disappointing if a Labour MP was involved in a smear campaign that personally targets their colleagues. This kind of behaviour goes against everything the Labour party stands for.
"The only people who benefit from Labour division is the Tories. Labour members and MPs will want answers to some quite serious questions this conduct raises.”
But Stretham MP Mr Umunna, who is also chair of the anti-Brexit Grassroots Co-ordinating Group, insisted he had no knowledge of the billboards, and that he did not support them.
He also condemned "politically-driven" attempts by Labour MPs to link him with OFOC.
He said: "OFOC are an independent, autonomous organisation of young people who make their own decisions. They are not part of the Grassroots Co-ordinating Group, nor do they attend our weekly meetings.
"Their billboard campaign has never been discussed there. I therefore personally had no role to play in any of the decision-making around that billboard campaign nor was I aware of what was planned in advance.
"There are some in the anti-Brexit movement who believe it helps the cause to attack those who are anti a hard Brexit but not Brexit altogether. I have always urged publicly and privately against this because it is counter-productive.
"I can understand why some members of the PLP who are pro-Brexit want to use this as a stick with which to beat someone who is clearly and vocally opposed to Brexit in the PLP, but these claims are not grounded in fact and are politically driven.
"As it happens, no MP has personally raised this issue with me but I have made my thoughts known about the misguided billboard campaign referred to."
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