Labour must actively campaign for public vote, say campaigners

Labour must actively campaign for public vote, say campaigners

• Left wing activists hail “huge step forward” for Labour after Corbyn backs fresh public vote on Brexit
• Labour must make good on its conference policy to campaign, not just passively support public vote
• Campaigners launch new motion for local parties aimed at gearing up to campaign against Brexit on the doorstep

Campaigners have hailed Labour’s commitment to support a public vote on Brexit as a “huge step forward”, but warned that unless Labour actively campaigns for such a vote, it may not happen. The parliamentary arithmetic looks tight, and anti-Brexit activists hope that Labour mobilisting behind a public vote will make the difference.

Another Europe is Possible, the campaign which led the push to get Labour to adopt a pro-public vote position at Labour conference last year, has launched a new motion for local parties calling on Labour to up the ante on its campaign and to take the case against Brexit out onto the doorstep. Over 250 CLPs have debated a previous draft of the motion.

The campaign plans for a day of action on March 10th. It is also urging Labour to join public mobilisations for a public vote such as the March 23rd “put it to the people” protest, which could see a million people take to the streets of London.

The motion states: “Over the years since the first referendum in 2016, the Tories’ Brexit agenda has been exposed as a means of deregulating and destabilising the economy, attacking our rights and freedoms, and undermining our ability to implement a radical manifesto. Labour must now campaign against Brexit on the doorstep, and prepare to win a fresh referendum.”

The motion calls on all Labour MPs to vote in favour of a public vote on the final Brexit deal. It also calls on the party to “campaign for a public vote, not just vote for one – including by mobilising for demonstrations”, and that Labour must back Remain in any referendum. It resolves that “our case for Remain must be build on a vision for transforming society, not defending the status quo”.

Ana Oppenheim, from Another Europe is Possible, said:
“Labour’s move towards backing a public vote on Brexit is a huge step forward. This will save Labour’s electoral chances, and it is the right thing to. The overwhelming majority of Labour members, and its voters in every seat, back a fresh public vote. Brexit is a Tory project – it is about driving down regulatory standards, wages and rights. Allowing Brexit to happen will make it much harder for us to implement a radical manifesto. Stopping it gives us the chance to bring down the government and put forward a radical vision for transforming Britain and Europe.

“But we have to be clear that just voting for the right amendment may not be enough. Labour’s policy isn’t just to whip for a public vote, it is to campaign for one. We need Labour to be out on doorsteps up and down the country making the case for a public vote, and backing demonstrations demanding a final say. Mass mobilisation could shift the balance of forces in parliament, and Labour can deliver that, combining it with the radical political demands we need to win a referendum.”