Labour rejects call to back public vote on Brexit deal

LONDON: Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee has rejected calls to commit the party to a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal.The party’s manifesto for next month’s European Parliament elections will stick to the wording of a motion passed by Labour conference last year, which keeps a public vote on the table as a last option. A party source made clear that this committed Labour to back a fresh vote only if the party cannot either win either the changes it wants to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement or secure a general election.Deputy leader Tom Watson, who has led calls for a more positive commitment to a second referendum, left the six-hour meeting without comment, saying only that the manifesto would be published early next week.Watson had earlier walked out of a shadow cabinet meeting after being told it would not be shown the proposed wording of the manifesto commitment. Some 115 MPs and MEPs signed a letter to NEC members organised by the Love Socialism, Hate Brexit group urging them to explicitly back a referendum in the manifesto.And 34 of Labour’s 70 candidates in the May 23 European elections have pledged to campaign for a referendum and then back Remain if a vote is called. A Labour source said: “The NEC agreed the manifesto which will be fully in line with Labour’s existing policy — to support Labour’s alternative plan, and if we can’t get the necessary changes to the government’s deal, or a general election, to back the option of a public vote.”

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