Iain Macwhirter Profile picture
Columnist. Times, Spectator Author: "Disunited Kingdom" -"Still best book on independence vote". Ex BBC TV/ radio presenter. Former Rector Edinburgh University.

Aug 19, 2019, 5 tweets

JoHn McDonnell is now suggesting Labour could put the terms of a “credible” Labour-proposed Brexit Deal to a referendum before negotiating with Brussels. Can anyone make sense of this?

Still leaves Labour proposing a form of Fantasy Brexit. Why put a notional deal to a referendum if it hasn’t been cleared by Brussels first? It is certain to change in subsequent negotiations with the 27.

Indeed, Labour would really need two new referendums. One to OK the Labour-proposed deal and another to endorse whatever comes back from Brussels

And we already know what would come back from Brussels: the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Backstop which Labour has voted against in the Commons repeatedly.

Everyone seems to think this is a great step forward because McDonnell says he would vote to remain. But it still leaves Labour facing both ways. I don’t known how they could explain this in an election manifesto.

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