Brexit: Second referendum takes a step closer to reality – leader comment

A second Brexit referendum would need to ensure all sides of the debate were able to express their opinion.

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will back a second referendum on Brexit in parliament (Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty)

Labour has taken a long time to come round to the idea, but a week after a group of pro-Remain MPs quit the party to form the Independent Group, it has finally decided to push for a second Brexit referendum.

Theresa May’s proposed deal is far from the vision that won the support of 52 per cent of voters in the 2016 referendum and is even opposed by the most ardent of Brexiteers, people like Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

According to existing UK law, the only other alternative is a no-deal Brexit, which would quite clearly cause serious damage to the UK economy and should not be considered as an option by anyone with the UK’s national interests at heart.

Labour is now set to back an amendment to rule out a no-deal and will also put forward its own Brexit plan for a “permanent and comprehensive customs union” and “close alignment with the single markets”.

This may or may not be realistic – given the EU’s stance against a re-negotiation – but Jeremy Corbyn added that Labour would back “an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country”. David Lammy, a prominent Remain-supporting Labour MP, said Corbyn was “taking the first step to reunite our party by showing he is listening to our voters and members on this, the biggest issue of our time”.

It is often said that the EU referendum was held in an attempt to solve an internecine war within the Conservative party. Now, it seems, Labour’s internal troubles could bring about another one.

Clearly, the chances of this actually happening will depend on the attitude of many Conservative MPs – and not just Remain ones. Labour’s decision could simply prompt Brexiteer MPs to drop their opposition to May’s deal, fearing the ‘will of the people’ is now pro-Remain.

But, if a second vote does come about, the big question will be the question. BrexitRef2 would undoubtedly be a divisive affair and there would be a serious risk of a boycott by Brexiteers, which could cause potentially irreparable harm to democracy in this country.

So considerable efforts would need to be made to try to bring Farage, Rees-Mogg and the like on board. And the question would have to be one that allowed all sides of this most tortuous debate to have their final – final – say on the matter.