,
13 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
@CarolineFlintMP's comments on Marr this morning have prompted me to do some thinking (again) about Labour's Brexit policy. A quick thread. 1/
I understand the desire to respect the result of the referendum, and the desire to bring together leavers and remainers. I understand the desire for a 'good' Brexit, in which close relationships with the EU are maintained. 2/
I understand the desire to negotiate with the Govt, and to endeavour to get a 'good' Brexit deal. But, that has now failed. The new PM will not 'tack towards Labour'. So, the question is, where does the Party go from here? 3/
Caroline Flint's answer is to back the deal, deliver Brexit, and hope to be able to influence the future relationship. This relies on many hopes; first, on the new PM bringing back the WA (or similar) to Parliament, and second, on it securing majority support. 4/
That seems unlikely. So, Caroline Flint, despite her stated opposition to no deal, would be prepared to endorse no deal ahead of revoking Article 50. 5/
This amounts to pretty much unqualified support for a disruptive Brexit. She is prepared to accept not only the WA (which Labour has consistently opposed), but also a no deal Brexit. 6/
That is an extraordinary position for a Labour politician to be adopting, and her claim that there may be 30 or so Labour MPs who hold similar views is both surprising, and concerning. 7/
Meanwhile, the leadership's position is, in glacial fashion, shifting. The leadership does not back the WA. It does not back no deal. But now, it seems, it is inching towards supporting a second referendum on any Brexit deal, with a remain option. 8/
The problem for the leadership is that there is no Brexit deal in sight. If, as seems likely, the new PM's renegotiation fails, he may set a course towards 'no deal'. 9/
The urgent question for Labour is not whether or not to endorse a public vote on a hypothetical Brexit deal, but how to prevent the new PM from taking the UK out of the EU without a deal at the end of October. 10/
The task is far from easy - at the very least, it involves unity of purpose, and a cross party coalition; aiming either to revoke A50, or more likely, to precipitate a general election, in which all sides will attempt to secure a mandate from the people. 11/
Labour will then have to decide how to position itself in any such general election. Would it be a party of remain? Or would it look for the chance to deliver its 'good' Brexit? Big decisions lie ahead. 12/
The first and urgent priority is to stop the Government pursuing a destructive course. Those opposed to no deal (perhaps not including Caroline Flint) need to work together, cross party, to stop a destructive no deal. 13/13
