Voters ‘need a final say’ on deal with EU
A Labour election candidate from Shropshire has called on Jeremy Corbyn to make a clear case for Britain to remain in the customs union and single market after Brexit.
Dylan Harrison also wants any final deal with the EU to be put to the public in a second referendum.
Mr Harrison, who stood for the party in The Wrekin constituency, said the situation had changed considerably since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016.
He commented after two leading pro-European MPs called on Labour leader Mr Corbyn to “get off the fence” and make a clear case for close ties with Europe.
Heidi Alexander, co-chairman of the Labour Campaign for the Single Market, said Mr Corbyn needed to stop hedging his bets and make a clear case for remaining in both the customs union and the single market.
Her fellow co-chairman Alison McGovern said Labour needed to clearly differentiate its policy from that of the Conservatives, which was to leave both bodies but negotiate a trade deal with the EU.
Mr Harrison, who was defeated by Conservative Mark Pritchard at last year’s election, said: “I do think we need to come up with a distinctive position, because clearly the Government is very divided on Brexit.
“Jeremy Corbyn said on Sunday he wanted to stay in the customs union and I totally support that, both for the economy and the Northern Ireland peace process, but I would go further and say when the time comes to leave and we see the final deal, that it should be subject to a second referendum. he said.
“We need to give the people an opportunity to have their say on the final deal, whatever that is, because where we are now isn’t where we were in June 2016.”
Miss Alexander, who served under Mr Corbyn as shadow health secretary, said there was real frustration among Labour members and supporters about the party’s position on Brexit. “The sooner the leadership recognise this, the better it will be for the country,” she said.
“The fact that we continue to hedge our bets, when the argument is there to be won, is not doing anyone any favours.
“If we don’t get our act together we will see jobs go, the tax-take fall and public services cut further – we can’t let that happen.”
Miss McGovern, added: “It is time for Labour to get off the fence.
“To end any perception that our party is on the same side as the purveyors of falsehoods like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove we need there to be a real difference between our party’s policy and that of Theresa May.
“Words about a ‘jobs-first Brexit’ are in danger of looking like nothing more than clever rhetoric unless Labour actually backs the policies that will put jobs first by keeping us in the single market and customs union.”
Leaked report is ‘bid to undermine our exit’
Theresa May is facing demands to publish the Government’s latest Brexit analysis following a report it had concluded Britain would be worse off – whatever deal is struck with Brussels.
But Brexiteer and Telford MP Lucy Allan has said the leaked report was an attempt to undermine the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The report, which was meant to be shown confidentially to cabinet ministers this week, has predicted an economic hit for the UK from Brexit.
According to the BuzzFeed news website, the document suggests growth would be lower in each of three different potential Brexit outcomes than if the UK had voted to stay in the European Union.
Mrs Allan said previous treasury forecasts had been wrong and that studies show leaving would actually boost the economy.
“As the Brexit Minister Steve Baker has said – this is an attempt to undermine our exit from the EU,” she said.
“The leaked document was nowhere near being approved by ministers and did not take into account the opportunities of leaving the EU. It is also worth remembering that almost every single treasury forecast on Brexit has been wrong – and that there are studies by respected economists that suggest, at a minimum, our leaving the EU will boost GDP by 6.8 per cent, or £135 billion.”
Mr Baker said the document was at a “preliminary” stage and “requires further work”.
Even if the UK is able to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement, it estimated growth would be down five per cent over the next 15 years, according to BuzzFeed.
That would rise to eight per cent if Britain left without a deal and was forced to fall back on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.
The leaked document, which is titled “EU Exit Analysis – Cross Whitehall Briefing” and dated January 2018, looked at three of the most plausible Brexit scenarios based on existing EU arrangements.
It concludes chemicals, clothing, manufacturing, food and drink, and cars and retail will be the hardest hit sectors.
