John McDonnell: Labour could back second Brexit vote

John McDonnell today said Labour could back a second Brexit referendum – saying: ‘all options are open.’

His comments come amid reports Jeremy Corbyn will use a major speech on Brexit to announce Labour will push to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU.

The Labour leader is expected to bow to pressure from his Remain-backing MPs and young activists to change party policy and push for a soft Brexit.

But any move to keep the UK in the customs union – which would stop  the country being able to strike trade deals globally – could spark anger among its pro Brexit voters in the party’s heartlands.

John McDonnell (pictured today) said Labour could back a second Brexit referendum – saying: ‘all options are open’

John McDonnell (pictured at the Resolution Foundation event in London this morning) said he is hoping another General Election will be called so Labour can change the UK's Brexit policy in No10

John McDonnell (pictured at the Resolution Foundation event in London this morning) said he is hoping another General Election will be called so Labour can change the UK’s Brexit policy in No10

Speaking in London this morning, Mr McDonnell said he is hoping another General Election will be called so Labour can change the UK’s Brexit policy in No10.

But he said Labour does not rule out having another nationwide vote on the issue to reverse the historic decision.

He said: ‘There needs to be a wider debate about the future of the country setting our future relationship with Europe in that context.

‘That’s why I would prefer a general election, but we are keeping all options open.’

Mr McDonnell said all the analysis of polling the party had been doing on whether voters wanted another referendum showed ‘there hasn’t been a shift’.

‘It’s virtually 50/50 at the moment,’ he said.

‘From the analysis of all the poll of polls, there has been some shift but it is in both directions, so they have cancelled each other out.’ 

Quizzed about the party’s position on staying inside the EU customs union, Mr McDonnell said the party was looking to keep a similar arrangement with the EU. 

He said: ‘We are not supporting membership of the customs union but we are looking at a customs union.

Jeremy Corbyn is delivering a major speech on Brexit on Monday, where he is expected to change the party's position to back a softer Brexit (file pic)

Jeremy Corbyn is delivering a major speech on Brexit on Monday, where he is expected to change the party’s position to back a softer Brexit (file pic)

‘The reason we are saying a customs union is because we don’t want the same asymmetric relationship that Turkey have got.

‘What we would want is to negotiate around our ability to influence the trade negotiations that would take place on behalf of us all, both ourselves and other European countries in terms of trade via a customs union.’ 

Mr Corbyn is delivering a major speech on Brexit on Monday, where he is expected to change the party’s position to back a softer Brexit.

It comes after he was confronted by calls from 20,000 party members demanded a stronger say on the party’s Brexit policy.

While earlier this week the Labour leader held an away day with his top team to thrash out their position on Brexit.

Meanwhile ex-leader Neil Kinnock called on Mr Corbyn to stop Brexit to save the NHS from disaster. 

 



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