Anti-Brexit activists slam Brexit “fudge” from Labour’s NEC

Leading anti-Brexit activists in the Labour Party have rejected the statement drafted by the party’s ruling body that would lead to a “fudge” according to critics.

The Brexit statement, which was discussed by national executive committee (NEC) members this morning and is set to be passed at their next meeting on Sunday, says the party would decide how to campaign in a fresh EU referendum via a one-day special conference.

This emergency summit of members would take place after the election of a Labour government – allowing Jeremy Corbyn to campaign in an early election on the basis that his party would implement a public vote.

The plan would not force the Labour leader to pick a side in the Brexit debate before going to the polls, which advocates say would enable Labour to appeal to people across the Brexit divide, winning the votes of both Remainers and Leavers.

But anti-Brexit activists and MPs have slammed the proposal, branding it a “fudge” and a “slap in the face” to Labour members who would like to see the party’s Brexit policy debated and voted on.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, a member of the Love Socialism group, said: “We are being hammered on the doorstep because our Brexit position is a fudge. Yes, it’s great that we are putting forward a public vote and a remain option. But in every seat in the country, Leave and Remain, we are losing votes because our voters are turning to Remain parties. This conference is our one chance before an election to get out of the fudge – we cannot allow that to be taken away from us in some procedural stitch up.”

“This move is just plain wrong,” Labour MP Clive Lewis commented. “How can this be defended? We, the left, took over the leadership of this party promising internal democracy, promising a new kind of politics. And yet here we are, with a leadership apparently determined to shut down democratic debate on the crucial issue of the day, probably relying on union bloc votes to outvote the members.

“It’s not what we signed up for. We now need to rally on the conference floor – if it passes, delegates should mobilise to vote against the NEC statement so the Brexit motions can be heard and democratically debated.”

Michael Chessum, national organiser for Another Europe is Possible, added: “Introducing an NEC statement in this manner would be a bare faced attempt to shut down a democratic debate on Brexit at conference. The idea that Labour would not take a position now, and put it off to a special conference just after an election, is absurd. We have a conference, right here and right now, which has had a huge wave of grassroots motions submitted to it on Brexit.

“Ahead of an election, Labour’s members and voters want to know that the party understands them and is on their side. Preventing their views from even being debated is just a slap in the face. The NEC should vote down this this statement and let the members decide our policy democratically on the conference floor.”

Below is the full text of the draft NEC statement on Brexit.

The NEC welcomes Labour’s commitment to let the people decide Brexit.

Labour will put control of Brexit back in the hands of the people in a new referendum with a real choice between a sensible leave deal or remain.

The NEC further welcomes the role of the Labour Party in Parliament to work cross-party to legislate against crashing out on 31 October. There is no mandate for No Deal.

After three years of shambolic Tory negotiations and parliamentary deadlock, a Labour government will get Brexit sorted one way or another within six months of coming to power, allowing us to concentrate on all the issues that matter to people most.

A Labour Government would secure a sensible leave deal with the EU within three months, and within six months would put it before the people in a referendum alongside the option to remain.

Jeremy Corbyn is right to say that as a Labour prime minister he would implement the will of the British people in that referendum.

The NEC notes that the Labour frontbench has consulted with industry, trade unions and EU leaders and officials on a deal that protects jobs and investment, while respecting the 2016 referendum result.

Labour’s leave deal would include a new UK-EU customs union, a close relationship with the Single Market, guarantees of workers’ rights and environmental protections, and membership of key bodies to ensure joint co-operation in areas like climate change, counter-terrorism and medicines.

If people vote to leave on those terms, Labour will deliver that and leave the EU with that negotiated deal. If people vote to remain, Labour would implement that and seek to reform the EU as members. A Labour government will deliver whichever decision is made by the people of Britain.

The NEC believes it is right that the party decides how to campaign in such a referendum – through a one-day special conference, following the election of a Labour government.