The shadow Brexit Secretary has said that Labour are not necessarily ruling out a remain option, should a second referendum go ahead.
The Former QC and current MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Sir Kier Starmer, made the comments during his speech at the annual party conference in Liverpool.
Specifically, Sir Starmer took the opportunity to dispel suggestions that a remain option would not be reconsidered in the event of a secondary vote.
In the speech, he stated:
“If [a general election] is not possible, we must have other options. And, conference, that must include campaigning for a public vote. Conference, it’s right that parliament has the first say. But if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out remain as an option.”
Sir Starmer’s comments prove to be in direct opposition to remarks made earlier in the week by shadow chancellor and close ally of leader Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell.
Notably, McDonnell said that should a second referendum indeed go ahead, the vote should crucially respect the result of the June 2016 vote and thus not include an option for ‘remain’.
“If we are going to respect the last referendum, it will be about the deal, it will a negotiation on the deal,” he stated on Monday.
He added: “Parliament will determine the nature of the question that will be put, but the first stage of that is to see if we can get a deal that is acceptable and brings the country together again. And I’ve always thought we could.”
Sir Starmer’s recent interjection will no doubt add to confusion over Labour’s Brexit stance, as the March 2019 deadline fast approaches.
Whilst the annual party conference is often seen as way to outline a cohesive party strategy, it still remains unclear precisely what Labour’s official policy regarding Brexit actually is.
However, it seems that a lack of clarity over Brexit is, curiously, a cross-party problem.
Equally, the Conservatives continue to be in disarray with respect to how best to proceed with negotiations.
In particular, Tory Brexiteers continue to differ on whether or not to back Theresa May’s proposed plan.
Former cabinet foreign secretary Boris Johnson has remained among one of the most prominent critics of the proposals, articulating his opposition in his respective column in The Telegraph.
Moreover, prominent Hard Brexit supporter, Jacob Rees Mogg, has said that the Prime Minister should recognise that her Chequer’s plan will have limited support.
It seems that the controversial vote to leave back in 2016 has done nothing to quell debates within the conservative party over the Europe issue.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson for Number 10 remained adamant that the cabinet itself remain united behind the plan.
However, with the most recent rejection of the proposed chequers deal from EU officials, it remains to be seen whether Theresa May’s own party will also cooperate.
According to party sources, Labour also remains unconvinced.
Ahead of his aforementioned speech in Liverpool, Sir Starmer told BBC’s Radio 4 Today Programme that the party looks likely to vote down the deal.
Party differences aside, it seems there is one thing both the Conservative and Labour can agree upon – derailing Theresa May’s Brexit proposals.
