Labor will vote against Brexit agreement, open to second referendum

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 still has to reach an agreement with Brussels on the terms of the divorce, and her plan for future trade relations has been rejected by the government. EU and many legislators of his own conservative party. .

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

Starmer said May was about to fail at these tests and called for elections to allow a Labor government to steer Britain's departure from the EU, the most important change in politics foreign and domestic trade for decades.

"If Theresa May reports an agreement that does not meet our criteria – and this seems increasingly likely – the workers will vote against her agreement," he told Labor members at the conference. Liverpool.

He reiterated the Ministry of Labor's argument that if the parliament rejected May's agreement, named in reference to the Prime Minister's residence where she had worked out a plan with her ministers, the party would call for a general election.

"But if we have to break the stalemate, our options must include a campaign for a public vote and no one will stay out as an option," he said during a standing ovation. and long applause in a packed conference room.

Conservative Party President Brandon Lewis accused the Labor Party of breaking "his promises" and bringing us back to Brexit.

But with May's plan to maintain close ties with the EU for trade in goods facing opposition from its own legislators, the Labor Party could play a decisive role in determining whether a Brexit deal is approved by parliament.

May has a 13-member majority in Parliament and a former minister said 80 of her lawmakers were ready to vote against a Brexit deal based on the Checkers plan.

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. [L8N1WA260]

Brendan Chilton, secretary-general of the Brexit Labor leave union group, accused Starmer of having launched an offer of leadership and attempting to undermine Corbyn.

"It's a betrayal of the highest level. This is a betrayal not only of millions of Labor voters, but also of our 2017 manifesto, "he said, referring to the party's campaign in last year's election, which got more than expected.

The Labor conference will vote later Tuesday on the possibility of holding a second Brexit referendum if Parliament fails to pass its Brexit plan.

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".

The formulation of a possible second referendum remained vague, which paved the way for some to call it a fudge when party spokesman John McDonnell said such a vote should be on how to leave the EU.

But Starmer was clear. He understood that the motion could allow Britain to vote to stay in the EU.

"It's not about frustrating the process," he said. "It's about stopping a destructive conservative Brexit. It's about fighting for our values ​​and fighting for our country. "