Keir Starmer declared on Peston on Sunday that he would not accept the Government invoking Article 50 and reaching an agreement with Brussels without putting it to the people first.
Vowing to fight for a “meaningful” vote, he told the ITV host: “This is classic of this Government, which is to say ‘we’ll give you a vote but it won’t be a meaningful vote’. We are going to fight on that because it has to be a meaningful vote.”
“There are two agreements that have to be reached, the Article 50 leaving agreement, that’s the one that has to be reached within two years.
“And then the new agreement, the UK-EU agreement which defines the future relationship.”
ITV
Keir Starmer suggested Labour wouldn’t back Brexit until they had been given a ‘meaningful’ vote
The shadow minister added: “We have got to have a vote on both of those and I do not accept the proposition that on the second vote, which is the one that really counts, the new relationship, that we should have a vote that is a rock and a hard place.
“I don't accept that, and we'll be fighting that.”
The Labour Party MP’s demand to Theresa May followed Jeremy Corbyn’s shambolic performance on Sky News as he once again refused to say whether he will force his MPs to back Brexit.
Amid threats of a rebellion which would plunge the opposition party into further turmoil, Mr Corbyn said he would "ask" Labour MPs to respect the result of the EU referendum and back the triggering of Article 50.
I don't accept that, and we'll be fighting that
data-ad-format="auto">Keir Starmer
But quizzed over whether he would impose a full three-line whip on his MPs, compelling them to back it, Mr Corbyn told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "I will ask all Labour MPs to respect the result of the referendum and allow Article 50 to be opened so we start that two-year, probably longer, period of negotiation."
Mr Corbyn insisted Labour was in a difficult position as it has MPs representing both metropolitan Remain-voting constituencies and working class Brexit-backing areas.
The left-wing politician’s repeated refusal to reveal the party’s official stance comes as Mrs May may be forced to seek Parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50 if the Government loses its Supreme Court appeal next week.
The shadow home secretary was also given a bashing on BBC, as Andrew Neil roasted the MP for giving shambolic answers over Labour’s position on the single market.
REMOANERS: These people hate BREXIT!
Mon, January 16, 2017
Remainers are finding it hard to accept Brexit.
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NICK CLEGG
The Daily Politics host took Diane Abbott to task as he demanded to know Labour’s official stance on trade unions following Mrs May’s announcement the UK was abandoning it on Tuesday.
Neil asked the pro-EU MP: “With membership comes free movement of people, the jurisdiction of the European Court and a multibillion-pound membership fee. Is Labour prepared to pay that price for membership?”
Ms Abbott replied: “I think we’ll find that the Tories are going to have to pay money to be able to get the sort of access they need for British businesses."
Having none of the wavering, the BBC host challenged the Corbyn-loyalist to answer as he thundered: “I’m asking for Labour’s position!”
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