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LONDON – As the annual meeting of the opposition British Labor Party began on Sunday, a big question arose around the Liverpool Conference Center: should the British be allowed to again weigh on the country's withdrawal from the country? European Union?
Since the country voted in a referendum in 2016 to leave the 28-member bloc, a process known as Brexit, Labor repeatedly said that they would respect the outcome of this vote. But with the British government's negotiations on the conditions of its departure in turmoil and the threat of an economically damaging exit, some union leaders and union representatives are looking forward to a second referendum on the question.
Until now, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has been reluctant. But he is facing pressure on the issue and that seems to be having an effect.
In an interview published on Sunday, Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror he was not calling for another referendum, but would "adhere" to any decision by party members, many of whom want a "popular vote" on the terms of any exit agreement – a plebiscite that would most likely give the opportunity to stay in the European bloc.
More than 140 Brexit motions were submitted to the conference this week, including the one calling for "a public vote on the agreement". Although it is unclear what could be put to a vote in Liverpool, the sheer number of motions is likely to put pressure on the party leadership. European direction.
"To constitute a majority in Parliament, it would take a second referendum, the opposition party is very important," said Paul Webb, professor of politics at the University of Sussex in England. "So that could change the situation."
Corbyn and his economics critic, John McDonnell, would prefer the Brexit crisis to trigger general elections that could bring them to power, rather than another referendum.
But the campaign for the "popular vote" continues to gain ground and the crisis worsened last week after the acrimonious summit in Salzburg, Austria, between Prime Minister Theresa May and her European counterparts.
Ms May said the negotiations were in a "stalemate" after the EU leaders rejected the proposals she had made before the talks. The news has caused a decline in the value of the British currency, fueled political tensions and raised questions about Ms. May's ability to avoid a chaotic and economically detrimental departure.
On the Labor side, "Jeremy Corbyn seems to be the biggest obstacle to a second referendum," said Professor Webb.
Last year at the Labor Conference, Momentum, a movement that supports Mr. Corbyn's leadership and political agenda, helped to stifle the Brexit debate. This year, its members want the subject to be discussed. A study on membership in a political party in Britain revealed that 78% of Labor members wanted a second referendum.
Joseph Todd, a spokesperson for Momentum, said that many of last year's motions came from people who "did not really want to talk about Brexit; they wanted to harm the leadership of the party. This year, he said, "there are many activists who really want to discuss the issue."
In addition, there is urgency, especially in some of the country's major unions, who are worried about the economic implications of Britain leaving the European Union without an agreement. The Congress of Trade Unions said in a statement this month that, given the real risk of a collapse in negotiations or an agreement that does not protect jobs, "we do not rule out the possibility of campaigning. Brexit agreement through a popular vote ".
Nevertheless, Corbyn's main goal is to force a new election, he told the BBC on Sunday, and he has a long record of euroscepticism. He was elected for the first time to Parliament in 1983, with the commitment to leave what was then called the European Economic Community. In the decades that followed, he seemed to stick to a vision of the bloc as a banker's club whose rules limiting state aid to unprofitable corporations could hamper its left-wing agenda.
Prior to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Mr. Corbyn officially supported the continuation in the European Union, but critics argued that he had done the bare minimum to help the "Rest" campaign. He publicly accepted the results, but allowed labor policy to slowly evolve towards a "flexible Brexit" that would maintain close economic ties with the European Union to preserve jobs.
Although the divisions of labor on Brexit are far from being as deep as those of the Conservative Party in power, they are nonetheless real. Some party members are now vehemently adopting "Lexit," a left-wing program for Brexit that could focus on greater public ownership and a new strategy for the economy.
At the same time, the Labor parliamentary group has been severely tested by quarrels over the party's position on anti-Semitism, and there has been speculation that some members of the right could separate to form a centrist and pro-European party.
In a general election last year, Mr. Corbyn conducted his internal campaigns focusing not on Brexit but on social issues such as health, education and calls to reverse the politics of politics. 'austerity. But to avoid the problem of Europe becomes more difficult as Brexit – scheduled for March 29 – gets closer and the impact on the economy and employment becomes more real.
"There is evidence of what is beginning to look like a significant shift against Brexit, and a lot of things have happened in the mostly worker-dominated ridings, but now they are thought to be in the majority." said Webb.
This could indicate a gradual and cautious shift in labor policy, regardless of Mr. Corbyn's instincts.
"I do not underestimate his ability to maintain his position," said Webb, "but I think the pressure is increasing."
