Labour has formally committed itself to a second Brexit referendum to stop a ‘disastrous’ Tory exit, the party has confirmed.
After MPs rejected Labour’s last attempt to get Commons approval for Labour’s own alternative plans, the final obstacle was removed from its full-throated support for a ‘public vote’.
Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer confirmed that the party’s next step would be to support a new parliamentary motion seeking a referendum, with the ballot paper containing remain and a ‘credible leave option’.
In a major step forward for the so-called ‘People’s Vote’ campaign, he told MPs that going back to the people was now the only way through the deadlock, with the next big Commons vote taking place by March 12.
Starmer also rejected claims that a second Brexit referendum will lead to riots and declared instead that the greater risk to the UK is from a Tory no-deal exit.
MPs defeated Labour’s own plans for Brexit by 323 votes to 240.
In a major shift in position, Labour announced on Monday that it would now officially back a second Brexit referendum in Parliament once its final bid to get a ‘softer’ exit was defeated in the Commons on Wednesday.
Earlier in the debate, Starmer had said: “If this amendment is defeated and the PM refuses to negotiate a close economic relationship, Labour will support or put forward an amendment in favour of a public vote. That public vote would include a credible leave option and Remain.
“It could be attached to the Prime Minister’s deal, what I’ve called a lock against a damaging Tory Brexit. Or it could be attached to any deal that managed to win a majority in the House of Commons.”
It remains unclear what mechanism Labour will use to secure its new policy, but Corbyn confirmed on Tuesday that “if [May’s deal] somehow passes in some form at a later stage, we believe there must be a confirmatory public vote to see if people feel that that is what they voted for”.
Labour’s policy sequence was set at its party conference last September, when it agreed it would seek parliament backing for its soft Brexit plan, then push for a general election, and failing that campaign for a second referendum.
A spokesman for Corbyn appeared to amend that on Wednesday. He said: “We will back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or a no-deal outcome.
“We will continue to push for the other options as well, to prevent those outcomes, including our alternative plan for a close economic partnership and of course also if possible a general election.”
But it is understood that a motion for a second referendum is now the only Parliamentary option being pursued ahead of the next ‘meaningful vote’ on May’s Brexit deal due before MPs by March 12.
A lengthy meeting of Labour’s Brexit policy sub-committee on Monday approved a key briefing for MPs, stating that the ‘next’ step after defeat of its amendment would be for ‘amendments in favour of a public vote’
“This is consistent with our unanimously agreed conference policy,” the briefing stated.
Holding a copy of Labour’s 2017 manifesto, Starmer rejected claims by fellow MP Gareth Snell that Labour’s policy now was “to revoke Article 50 at pretty much any cost”.
“We are faced in two weeks with what I think will be the Prime Minister’s red line deal or no deal. In our manifesto we rejected both”.
Starmer later tweeted his stance, even though the party’s official account said it would ‘keep making the case for our alternative plan’ and ‘keep pressing’ for a general election.
Tory chairman Brandon Lewis said: “Tonight it’s confirmed that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party would take our country back to square one with a divisive second referendum, all for the sake of his own party politics.
“Corbyn has made it clear he is only too happy to ignore the biggest democratic vote in our nation’s history. He just wants to keep asking the British public until he gets the answer he wants.”
Earlier, Starmer hit out at Theresa May’s warning last month that “a second referendum could damage social cohesion” and lead to possible violence on the streets.
Challenged by Ulster Unionist MP Lady Hermon as to whether Labour was “prepared to take that risk”, Starmer said that MPs should not be cowed by threats of unrest from doing what they thought was right.
“It was put to me earlier that this was a course that we should not adopt because of the social unrest it might cause. There are a number of answer to that I might put.
“The first is that this comes at the stage where we are trying to prevent no-deal. And I do not think no-deal is going to be orderly and smooth, it’s going to lead to huge problems up and down the country, so it [a second referendum] needs to be seen what it’s up against.
“I think it’s important that we do not exaggerate social disorder because that can encourage social disorder. I’m really worried about that.”
Stamer added: “I’ve only been in this place less than four years. But the idea we wouldn’t take the next step as a matter of principle because we thought there might be disorder is a very, very slippery slope.”
He was backed up by fellow Labour MP David Lammy, who said that he had himself faced social disorder in his constituency from right-wing groups.
“Some in our country on the hard right who are suggesting social disorder forget that this is a country that faced down Mosley at home and faced down Hitler and Mussolini abroad. We can never give in to far right pressure,” Lammy said.