Shadow Cabinet member breaks ranks with Jeremy Corbyn to demand second EU referendum
2 min read
Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Smith has defied Jeremy Corbyn to demand that Labour backs a second EU referendum.
In comments likely to re-ignite tensions in Labour over the Brexit debate, Mr Smith said Labour must offer another vote to “properly serve our democracy”.
Mr Corbyn has previously ruled out a second referendum, insisting Labour must abide by the result of the original poll in 2016.
Writing for The Guardian Mr Smith said: "Labour needs to do more than just back a soft Brexit or guarantee a soft border in Ireland.
"Given that it is increasingly obvious that the promises the Brexiters made to the voters – especially, but not only, their pledge of an additional £350m a week for the NHS – are never going to be honoured, we have the right to keep asking if Brexit remains the right choice for the country.
"And to ask, too, that the country has a vote on whether to accept the terms, and true costs of that choice, once they are clear. That is how Labour can properly serve our democracy and the interests of our people."
The frontbencher - who stood against Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2016 - also said UK should seek to retain membership of both the customs union and single market, another demand which has previously been ruled out by the Labour leadership.
“If we insist on leaving the EU then there is realistically only one way to honour our obligations under the Good Friday agreement and that is to remain members of both the customs union and the single market," he said. "I’m pleased my party has taken a big step in this direction by backing continued customs union membership, but we need to go further."
Mr Smith’s comments are likely to find sympathy with a sizeable proportion of Labour members and backbench MPs who remain highly critical of the Brexit process.
One MP told PoliticsHome: "Owen's comments have delighted me and my fellow pro-Europeans."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
