Sunday shows: Starmer, McDonnell, Chapman on Brexit and antisemitism

Ridge on Sunday

Keir Starmer, Shadow Brexit Secretary, confirmed that Labour wouldn’t be tabling a ‘people’s vote’ amendment on Tuesday despite John McDonnell saying it would come with the second meaningful vote.

• On Shamima Begum and her child’s death: “I think the decision by the Home Secretary was the wrong decision and I think it was a rushed decision… Our Terrorism Acts are very wide ranging now so if you commit an offence in another country you can be prosecuted back here in the UK.”
• On the second meaningful vote on Tuesday: “I don’t know whether something dramatic will happen in the next 24 hours but unless it does, exactly the same deal, exactly the same deal is going to be put before parliament.”
• On why Labour isn’t laying down an amendment for another EU referendum on Tuesday: “There was an expectation that the deal would be different. I think across parliament, now people know the deal is the same, there is a strong sense that there should be an up/down vote on the deal… Tuesday is about exposing the weakness of the Prime Minister.”
• On delaying Brexit: “Three months is probably doable, beyond that it becomes much more difficult so we need to look at that sort of period in the first instance.”
• On whether Labour is seriously considering Common Market 2.0: “We have got to break the impasse, we have got a deal that isn’t getting through and we can’t just keep running down the clock.”

Is Labour serious about a second #Brexit referendum?

Shadow Brexit secretary @Keir_Starmer tells #Ridge a three-month extension would be “doable”.

Follow live reactions as the PM is warned she faces another #Brexit defeat: https://t.co/n5ZnHtlhyq pic.twitter.com/d2WiODdKab

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) March 10, 2019

The Andrew Marr Show

John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor, spoke from Labour’s Scottish conference and emphasised the need to prevent ‘no deal’.

• • On delaying Brexit: “There’s no point in having a delay if then she’s going to run down the clock and come back with the same deal again.”
  • On Emily Thornberry saying delay would be limited to three months: “I don’t think the EU will want a long delay. They might provide us with a three-month delay only if we can demonstrate that we can use that time usefully.”
  • How long do you want? “As long as necessary. I think we could agree Labour’s deal in a matter of weeks.”
  • On Labour’s deal: “If parliament can’t agree the terms that Labour has put forward, there’s always that option of going back to the people.”
  • On whether the preferred plan is to pass Labour’s deal then put it to a public vote: “Not necessarily.”
  • On welcoming an investigation into Labour’s handling of antisemitism: “Yes, and let’s get on with it now. I’m hoping we’ll get a clean bill of health… if there’s issues that EHRC can advice us on, I’d welcome that.”

  Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell says he hopes Labour will get a “get a clean bill of health” if the human rights watchdog holds an anti-Semitism investigation #Marr https://t.co/N6b04c6rh6 pic.twitter.com/LIAVQa9WFY

  — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 10, 2019

  Pienaar’s Politics

  Jenny Chapman, shadow Brexit minister:

  • On another referendum: “There is more than one way to ruin your country. Yes, there is economic damage that can be done. There is another kind of damage too around division and lack of confidence in politics.”