“The Prime Minister is recklessly running down the clock, in an attempt to force MPs to choose between her botched deal and a disastrous No Deal. We cannot and will not accept,” Corbyn said.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced plans to put forward or support an amendment in favour of a People’s Vote on Brexit on Tuesday.
At a meeting on Monday night Labour MPs will be told that the move is aimed at preventing “a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country”.
The move comes after months of indecision by the Labour leadership over whether to back a second referendum or not. Corbyn had previously indicated that his preference would be for another general election ahead of a People’s Vote.
Speaking on Monday, Jeremy Corbyn said: “The Prime Minister is recklessly running down the clock, in an attempt to force MPs to choose between her botched deal and a disastrous No Deal. We cannot and will not accept.
“Last week, after our visit to talk to EU officials and leaders in Brussels and Madrid, no one can be in any doubt Labour’s alternative Brexit plan is serious and credible. We are convinced our alternative, which puts jobs and living standards first, could command support in the House of Commons, bring people who voted Leave and Remain together, and be negotiated with the EU.”
The opposition leader has also said he will table an amendment to take ‘no deal’ off the table and hit out at the potential for Theresa May to lead the country into a “botched deal and a disastrous” exit on World Trade Organisation terms.
Corbyn will also seek to enshrine his party’s “five Brexit demands” in law by tabling a further amendment to the government’s Brexit motion.
Labour’s five demands for the Brexit deal are:
- A permanent and comprehensive customs union with the EU;
- Close alignment with the Single Market underpinned by shared institutions and obligations;
- Dynamic alignment on rights and protections;
- Commitments on participation in EU agencies and funding programmes, including in areas such as the environment, education, and industrial regulation; and
- Unambiguous agreements on the detail of future security arrangements, including access to the European Arrest Warrant and vital shared databases.
Corbyn added: “We will also be backing the Cooper-Letwin amendment to rule out a No Deal outcome. One way or another, we will do everything in our power to prevent No Deal and oppose a damaging Tory Brexit based on Theresa May’s overwhelmingly rejected deal.
“That’s why, in line with our conference policy, we are committed to also putting forward or supporting an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country.”
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