Labour Remainers are accused of Brexit ‘scare tactics’

Labour Remainers faced accusations they were misleading football fans over Brexit today. 

A campaign launch for the Labour Campaign for the Single Market was told Britain’s vote to quit the EU could make it harder for fans to get to the World Cup in Russia next year.

But Russia is not in the EU and has waived normal visa rules for fans travelling to the World Cup. Britain will still be in the EU at the time of the tournament next summer in any event.

The campaign launch was also told by Labour MPs that the party’s supporters who voted for Brexit were wrong and should be persuaded to change their minds.

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said he would take on Brexit supporting Labour members at party conference later this month while Pat McFadden, a former minister, said Brexiteers had ‘narrow demands’ not in the interests of the country 

The controversial comments were made by the Remain supporters on September 5 at the launch of their single market campaign, according to a transcript passed to MailOnline.

Alison McGovern, the Wirral South MP, said: ‘I’m a big football fan and I just think about all of the issues that football supporters are going to have going to the World Cup in Russia next year, getting visas and all the rest of it.’

Russia has created a dedicated ‘Fan ID’ system to allow World Cup ticket holders into the country without going through normal visa procedures.  

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said Labour supporters ‘who for some reason think Brexit is a good thing’ were wrong and insisted he would take them on at Labour conference later this month.

Pat McFadden MP dismissed ‘narrow demands’ from Brexit voters and Stephen Doughty even sneered at his own Leave voting constituents, calling them ‘nationalist’ and ‘right wing’ from ‘little Wales’.

Conservative MP James Cleverly told MailOnline: ‘Labour need to get their facts straight before trying to scare people and frustrate the process of Brexit.

‘This complete own goal shows just how out of touch Labour are on the biggest issue that faces our country.’ 

Senior Tory MP James Cleverly said Labour should get its ‘facts straight’ before trying to scare people about the implications of Brexit 

Labour’s position on the single market has been mired in confusion since the referendum results last year.

The party’s current position is to stay in the single market during a transition period before negotiating a new system that offers the same benefits in future.

The Government says staying in the single market is tantamount to staying in the European Union outright as membership requires accepting free movement rules and many EU laws.