Labour MPs in pro-Brexit seats have warned Jeremy Corbyn that backing a second referendum would be “toxic” to the bedrock of the party’s supporters.
Twenty-six MPs have signed a letter urging the Labour leader to “put the national interest first” and back a deal before October 31. They also warned that a no-deal outcome would “alienate” many who supported the party at the last general election.
Rother Valley MP Sir Kevin Barron, Burnley’s Julie Cooper, Don Valley’s Caroline Flint, and Rotherham’s Sarah Champion are among the signatories to the letter.
This is the full letter from @UKLabour MPs in leave areas to @jeremycorbyn opposing a decisive shift to a referendum and remain pic.twitter.com/JI66YFXbiM
— iain watson (@iainjwatson) June 19, 2019
They wrote:
A commitment to a second referendum would be toxic to our bedrock Labour voters, driving a wedge between them and our party, jeopardising our role as a party of the whole nation, and giving the populist right an even greater platform in our heartlands…
Labour has a vital role to play fighting for a Brexit for the many, not the few. But this is a battle best fought in stage two, after the UK has left…
Rejecting any Brexit in the hope of securing a perfect deal risks the worst outcome – a no-deal Brexit. This would further alienate many who backed Labour in 2017…
We urge the party to put the national interest first, to back a deal before October 31.
The letter comes after reports that Corbyn may be about to change his party’s Brexit policy. A Labour Party spokesperson said:
As Jeremy said after the EU election results, he’s engaging in a process of consultation on our Brexit position
