Labor declares itself open to a second EU vote, with the possibility of remaining

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – The British opposition Labor Party will vote against an agreement between Prime Minister Theresa May and the European Union and is open to a second referendum with the possibility of remaining in the bloc, said Tuesday. Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer.

With just over six months before Britain leaves the European Union, May has not yet reached an agreement with Brussels on the terms of the divorce and its plan for future trade relations has been rejected by the EU and many lawmakers from his own party.

The Laborists listed six criteria they would apply to any Brexit agreement, namely whether they guaranteed a strong future relationship with the EU and offered the same benefits to Britain as a current member of the single market and of the customs union.

Starmer said May was about to fail those tests.

"Everyone recognizes that the talks are going badly and it seems that we are heading towards a bad agreement or even no agreement," he told BBC TV. "We, the Labor Party, are going to vote for a bad deal or we will not vote against any agreement because it's not good for our country and that's not what people voted for."

In a speech at his party's annual conference, Mr. Starmer will say that the Conservative government does not have a credible plan for Brexit and that there is no majority in Parliament for so-called "auditors". May, who are considering close ties with the EU. in the merchandise trade.

The work could play a decisive role in determining whether a Brexit agreement is approved by parliament. May has a 13-member majority in Parliament and a former minister said this month that 80 of her legislators were ready to vote against a Brexit deal based on Checkers' proposals.

SECOND REFERENDUM?

But, like conservatives in power and much of the country, Labor is divided over how to leave the bloc, under pressure from many members of its former eurosceptic leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to adopt a more pro-European stance.

Labor's conference will vote later on Tuesday to hold a second Brexit referendum if Parliament fails to pass its Brexit plan, putting pressure on the struggling Prime Minister.

In the motion that the Labor Conference will consider later on Tuesday, the party has once again taken a stand on Brexit – it wants full participation in the EU's single market after Brexit and will reject a "Brexit step".

If the talks with the EU fail, or if Parliament rejects May's agreement, the Labor Party will first seek a new general election. If there is not one, the Labor Party "must support all the options that remain on the table, including campaigning for a public vote," says the motion.

Starmer said a meeting of Sunday party officials had agreed that any second vote could allow the British to vote to stay in the EU after all. This seemed to contradict the opinion expressed by the party's finance spokesman, who said that we had to vote on how to leave the EU, not on the need to do so.

"The question that was asked remained open because we do not yet know the circumstances in which we find ourselves," said Starmer. "Sunday's meeting was very clear: the issue would be broad enough to encompass the possibility of staying. Nothing is excluded, including the option to stay. "

Brexit State Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday that Labor's "nonsense" about a second referendum would encourage the EU to propose a "lousy" deal and most Britons wanted politicians to hear about Brexit.

"Labor seems determined to get us all back to square one by rejecting an agreement that does not allow them to try to delay Brexit and revive the referendum," Brexit Junior Minister Robin Walker said in a statement.

"Labor has promised to respect the result of the referendum, but they only play political games and try to thwart it."