EU referendum: I’m not going to be standing on a platform with David Cameron, says shadow minister

It’s reported that Hilary Benn is going to announce that Labour will refuse to share a platform with the Tories in the EU referendum.

Benn, Shadow Foreign Secretary, told The Mirror that Labour “won’t be sharing a platform with David Cameron. He can’t even tell us whether he is in favour of staying in the EU or not.”

This comes after some in the party have expressed concern that Labour’s decision to enter into the Better Together campaign with the Tories – for the Scottish independence referendum – did them damage at the election.

Following this, some senior Labour figures have said Labour’s shouldn’t work with the Tories on this issue. However, others, including leadership contender Liz Kendall, argue that Labour should play a leading role in an official ‘yes’ campaign.

Benn, however, said that he was not saying Labour wouldn’t take part in an official ‘yes’ campaign, as well as establishing their own:

“What everyone agrees on is there will be a distinct Labour ‘Yes’ campaign.” 

“We don’t yet know what the (official) Yes campaign is going to be. That decision is for later, it’s not for now.

“But I’m not going to be standing on a platform with David Cameron.”

“There are distinctive Labour values about workers’ rights and fairness which are not shared by the Conservatives. Look at the legislation they’re proposing to bring forward.

“That’s why it’s important alongside all these other voices that there is a distinctive Labour voice in the campaign.”

Benn argued that “it’s about recognising there will be lots of voices” explaining that “On the formal ‘Yes’ campaign, it doesn’t exist yet. What we’re saying now is that, in addition to all the other stuff that’s going on, there will also be a Labour ‘Yes’ campaign.”