Labour conference latest: Bitter Brexit divisions clear as key shadow cabinet members push for Remain... despite warning from Corbyn-backing union boss

Patrick Grafton-Green23 September 2019
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Two key shadow cabinet members repeated their support for remaining in the EU today, despite a pro-Corbyn union leader saying they should “step aside” if they don’t support their leader on the matter.

Deputy leader Tom Watson and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry both told Labour conference fringe events they were committed to campaigning for Remain in a second Brexit referendum.

It came after Unite boss Len McCluskey warned that shadow cabinet members needed to back Mr Corbyn.

As it stands, Labour could go into a general election without a clear position on whether it would support Remain in the promised referendum.

Deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson said the party must support remaining in the EU
REUTERS

A policy statement put forward by Mr Corbyn to the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) sets out a plan for a Labour government to reach a deal with Brussels in three months, followed by a referendum.

Only after reaching a deal with the EU would the party decide its stance in the referendum.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry is also staunchly pro-EU
Getty Images

But Mr Watson said: "We are a Remain party. We are a European Party. We are an internationalist party.

"That is who we are. Not perfect, not pure. But overwhelmingly committed to Britain remaining in Europe.

"By backing a people's vote, by backing Remain, I am sure we can deliver the Labour government the people of this country so badly need."

Ms Thornberry told a rally that it was not disloyal to push for the party to lead the Remain campaign in a second Brexit referendum.

“Whatever the proposed terms of the departure are, and whichever government proposes them, we must demand a second referendum, we must demand that the public has a final say and we must not just campaign to remain but we must lead the campaign to remain,” she said.

She added “that doesn’t mean that we are not socialists or that we are disloyal to Jeremy Corbyn”.

“It is entirely because of our commitment to socialism and our loyalty to Jeremy that we are out, today, demanding the outcome which will give us the best chance of putting Jeremy into No 10.”

But referring to shadow cabinet members like Ms Thornberry, Mr McClusky told Sophy Ridge on Sky News earlier: “If they find that they can’t argue for it because they feel strongly, well of course they have that right but they should step aside, step aside from the shadow cabinet which will become the cabinet, and they can argue whatever they want.

“But the policy and my appeals to them and to Emily and to anybody else is support your leader.

“Emily Thornberry is a fantastic politician, she’s been loyal to Jeremy.

“If we get to a position where Jeremy is saying, let’s not make our decision on how we will campaign until we know what the deal is, my appeal to her - support Jeremy and that’s my appeal to the whole of conference.”

Scores of motions have been submitted to the party conference calling for Labour to back Remain, but campaigners fear the NEC statement - which has yet to be signed off - will shut down debate on the issue.

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