Shadow Cabinet ministers 'urge Jeremy Corbyn to call no-confidence vote next week'
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has reportedly been urged to call a vote of no-confidence in the Government next week by two senior members of his Shadow Cabinet.
According to the Telegraph, deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer have both told Mr Corbyn that the Opposition has a duty to push for such a vote as soon as possible,
They pair are said to have pushed for a vote at the earliest opportunity during Tuesday’s Shadow Cabinet meeting, with a source telling the paper that their calls were dismissed by “the usual suspects”.
An ally of Mr Watson said: “Tom has spoken out strongly on the need for calling a vote soon. He and Keir were certainly clear on that. At a time of national crisis it is the duty of the Opposition to put up a robust fight.”
They warned: “We are already at a crossroads and we’re at serious risk of losing momentum."
The pair is said to believe that the time to strike would be in the wake of Mrs May’s statement on Monday following this week's bruising Brussels summit.
"It’s the obvious time to table it, straight after, and hold the vote on Tuesday,” they said.
A senior Labour whip is reported to have held discussions with a number of backbench MPs about a potential vote on Tuesday and a backbencher close to Sir Keir confirmed that the “vast majority” in Labour expected such a move “next week”.
Away from the Shadow Cabinet, there is thought to be growing backbench support for such a move.
Labour MP Chris Bryant is reported to have been loudly supportive of the move at a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The Government whip's office is understood to now be expecting such a vote imminently.
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