Rachel Reeves addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight to outline Labour's current thinking on how to vote if a deal comes back to the Commons. Leadership wants to see the detail of any deal before they make the decision.
"Keir and I will read the deal. We are not being bounced into this decision," she told MPs according to a Labour source – but at the moment, the inclination across the board, led by Starmer, is leaning towards voting for a deal, rather than abstaining.
Labour has been pushing for a deal rather than no deal for so long that the thinking at the top is it would be very odd for Labour to then turn around and not vote for one (particularly as it will pass anyway if put to a vote).
Reeves made the case that a deal – even if inadequate – is only the start. It would be a platform for building on, and would show Labour is listening to voters. Told this received support from MPs including Hilary Benn, Liam Byrne, Harriet Harman, Sarah Owen, Yvette Cooper.
Labour leadership clear that Tory deal is likely to be bad for jobs and business but also that no deal would be worse – and very much think voting for a deal doesn't hold Labour back from criticising the government.
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