Labour in Southport boosted by Bootle Brexiteers

The Labour campaign in Southport has been boosted this week by the presence of veteran Bootle councillor Gordon Friel. Councillor Friel (pictured left with fellow Brexiteer Tory Minister Esther McVey at a Merseytravel event) is well-known for his Brexiteer standpoint which, if anything, is more consistent than Jeremy Corbyn’s. He was seen out campaigning this weekend in the Scarisbrick New Road area.

Meanwhile, divisions within Labour ranks over the Party’s Brexit stance deepened on Sunday after a senior Labour spokesperson discussed the prospect of Labour  campaigning to leave the EU after a possible ‘Jeremy Corbyn’ Brexit deal with Brussels.

Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary and Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey (pictured right) said a decision would be made on how the party would campaign over Brexit only after a new ‘Corbyn’ Brexit deal is struck.

She said that Labour would campaign to leave the EU if the party members decided to back a Corbyn Brexit.

“We will make an assessment of the deal at the time. We will try and get the best that we possibly can.”

Pressed on whether Labour could then pursue Leave, she said: “We will have to make that judgment at the time based on the deal that we manage to garner at from the European Union.
Labour now says that its plans for Brexit would include seeking a customs union and close single market alignment.
This is confusing the public since only two years ago, Jeremy Corbyn whipped Labour MPs to vote AGAINST a parliamentary amendment to keep the UK in the single market and customs union.

Pro-Remain MPs are increasingly concerned that Labour’s ‘face both ways’ stance on Brexit will hurt them on the doorstep and ultimately at the ballot box.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has so far refused to spell out how he would campaign in any such referendum, but has insisted the party’s Brexit policy “isn’t that complicated”.