Corbyn leans toward a general election before a second Brexit referendum
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has hinted Labour is more likely to back a general election before a second Brexit referendum.
Opinion is mixed within the party whether Labour should agree to a general election if the government is forced to seek a Brexit extension past 31 October.
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Some in the party have indicated they want to first try to cobble together a majority to push through a second Brexit referendum.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, for instance, recently said he may now be in favour of this option.
Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer also said yesterday that Labour could potentially attach an amendment to any Brexit deal brought before parliament to make it subject to a confirmatory vote.
However, Corbyn poured cold water on this suggestion during a Sky News Interview.
“I think many in parliament, not necessarily Labour MPs but others, might be inclined to support it, because they don’t really agree with the deal – but I would caution them on this,” he said.
He also said an election before Christmas was “obviously a strong possibility”.
Will I stay or will I go?
Corbyn also refused to answer whether he would resign if Labour did not win the next election.
“We’re not expecting to lose the next election,” he said.
“It’s a hypothetical question, and it’s up to the members of our party to decide who the leader is.”
It comes as McDonnell said just days ago that the pair of them would step down if Labour failed to win the next general election.
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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said today on BBC’s the Andrew Marr Show that she expected for this to be the case.
The shadow chancellor has indicated on multiple occasions that the next Labour leader should be a woman, however Long-Bailey refused to confirm or deny if she would run in a future leadership election.
However, she did confirm that she was now in favour of a second Brexit referendum “after a long journey”.
“At the start I was completely against a public vote; I thought it would be very divisive,” she said.
“However, after three years of drama and pantomime antics from the Tory government, and the fact we’re facing the prospect of a no deal, I think the only option we have now is to let the people decide.”