Angela Rayner has been warned by pro-EU campaigners she will not be able to introduce her education reforms and Labour will be “severely punished” at the ballot box if Brexit goes ahead.
In a letter to the shadow education secretary on Friday seen by HuffPost UK, members of Labour Students urged her to publicly back a second referendum and encourage other MPs to do the same.
The Labour leadership has said it will order its MPs to back a public vote if it falls to the Commons to make a decision.
But Rayner has been at the most lukewarm about the prospect. In January she said parliament would have “failed the public” if there was another referendum.
Many other Labour MPs have also warned that Leave voters will abandon the party if it backs a so-called People’s Vote.
The letter was organised by the Remain Labour group led by Andrew Lewin, which was responsible for around a third of the pro EU-motions sent to the party’s conference last year.
The grassroots organisation has calculated the cost of Labour’s own Brexit plan would be £24bn, while the cost of Labour’s 2017 manifesto education policies are £25bn.
The figure is based on the combined cost of Labour’s plan to remove university tuition fees, increase funding for schools, offer more funding for skills and extra help with childcare.
“If Brexit becomes reality, a future Labour government will be unable to implement your much-needed education policy reforms,” the letter said.
“We are seeking a written assurance that you will personally support a People’s Vote in parliament and work to convince all Labour MPs to do the same.
“Students and young people voted in huge numbers for Labour in 2017 and they voted for this programme.
“Despite party policy now being to support a People’s Vote, we are very concerned that a number of Labour MPs are still talking about an alternative ‘Labour Brexit’ and others saying they will vote for the prime minister’s deal.”
The letter goes on to say Brexit in any form would “devastate” plans for reform.
“Young people will continue to lose out,” it adds.
“The only way to stand by your reforms is for you to publicly support a People’s
Vote and call on all your colleagues to do the same.
“We hope you agree that Labour simply cannot let young people down like the Liberal Democrats did in coalition.
“If Labour goes back on its education commitments, it risks being
severely punished at the ballot box. Brexit in any form will damage all of our public services, cost jobs and hit hardest those who have least.
“On behalf of young people and Labour supporters across the country, we hope
and expect you will be vocal in your support for a People’s Vote.”
The 19 signatories to the letter include the vice chair of Labour students, Sarah Jane Smith, and its incoming representative on the party’s National Policy Forum, Dan Bewley.
It also has the backing of Jason Arthur, the co-founder of the pro-referendum For our Future’s Sake campaign.
Rayner today said Labour analysis of figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that school budgets are down £1.7bn in real terms compared to 2015.
“The Tories have slashed school budgets for the first time in a generation, and there will now be a generation of children paying the price for austerity,” she said.
“Austerity in our schools must end, and the next Labour government will reverse these cuts, giving our schools the resources they need and increasing per pupil funding to a record high.”
The letter was signed by:
Andrew Lewin – Founder, Remain Labour
Jason Arthur – Co-Founder, For our Future’s Sake
Sarah Jane Smith – Labour Students Vice Chair (Campaigns and Policy)
Eda Cazimoglu – Incoming Labour Students International Officer
Terence Smith - Labour Students Disability Officer
Jack Galea - Labour Students BAME Officer
Dan Bewley – Labour Students National Policy Forum Representative
Harry Picken - Labour Students Regional Coordinator, North West
Scarlet Conway - Incoming member of Labour Students Policy Committee
Ellie James – Labour Students Regional Coordinator, Yorkshire and the Humber
Elsie Greenwood - Edinburgh Labour Students
Kira Millana Lewis - Kings College London Labour Students
Jamie Dickinson - Northumbria Labour Students
Eluned Anderson - Liverpool Labour Students
Abi Lockwood - Hull Labour Students
Thom Chapman – De Montford University Labour Students
Cameron Clack – De Montford University Labour Students
Tom Ward – De Montford University Labour Students
Chris Bhim – Leeds Labour Students BAME Officer