34 Labour MEP candidates sign public vote pledge

34 Labour MEP candidates, including 13 sitting MEPs, have signed up to a public vote pledge organised by the grassroots group Remain Labour.

Almost half of those running in the European parliament elections for Labour next month have made commitments going further than party policy. They have pledged to:

1. Campaign to give the people the final say, with a referendum that offers a choice between a Brexit deal and the option to Remain in the EU.
2. Campaign to Remain in the referendum.

They have signed the pledge before Labour’s crucial national executive committee (NEC) meeting being held tomorrow, which will determine the manifesto content for the European elections.

A majority of MEP candidates are understood to be in favour of another referendum, but NEC members are divided between those who back a public vote without conditions, and those who (often reluctantly) support a referendum only to avoid a Tory Brexit deal or ‘no deal’.

Every Labour candidate on the regional list for Wales has signed up to Remain Labour’s campaign pledge. All four told LabourList last week that they were in favour of another public vote.

Jackie Jones, lead candidate for the Labour Party in Wales, said: “Now that we know more about what Brexit would mean for Wales, a confirmatory vote on any Brexit deal, with the option of staying as an EU member must be on the ballot paper.

“Mary, Matthew, Mark and I are therefore signing the pledge to give Wales a clear chance to support Labour and Remain in these elections.”

Below is the full list of signatories.

Sitting MEPs:

Alex Mayer (East of England)
Seb Dance (London)
Claude Moraes (London)
Jude Kirton-Darling (North East)
Paul Brannen (North East)
Theresa Griffin (North West)
Julie Ward (North West)
Wajid Khan (North West)
David Martin (Scotland)
John Howarth (South East)
Clare Moody (South West)
Sion Simon (West Midlands)
Richard Corbett (Yorkshire & the Humber)

MEP candidates:

Anna Smith (East of England)
Alvin Shum (East of England)
James Beckles (London)
Clare Penny-Evans (North East)
Erica Lewis (North West)
Claire Cozler (North West)
Amy Fowler (South East)
Emma Turnball (South East)
Rohit Dasgupta (South East)
Duncan Enright (South East)
Lubna Arshad (South East)
Simon Burgess (South East)
Rachael Ward (South East)
Andrew Adonis (South West)
Jackie Jones (Wales)
Matthew Dorrance (Wales)
Mary Wimbury (Wales)
Mark Whitcutt (Wales)
Eloise Todd (Yorkshire & the Humber)
Martin Mayer (Yorkshire & the Humber)
Alison Hume (Yorkshire & the Humber)