‘She wasn’t voting for Tory Brexit’ – Rambling Corbyn desperately tries to defend Abbott

Charlie Stayt took the Labour leader to task about why Ms Abbott decided to brand Britain’s move to leave the EU a "Tory Brexit" and a "disaster".

”She wasn’t voting for Tory Brexit. She was voting, as the rest of us were, to respect the result of the referendum and open the way for negotiations," he replied.

The Islington North MP imposed a three-line whip on his MPs to force them to vote through the bill which would allow the government to begin the process of leaving the EU.

Getty/BBC

Jeremy Corbyn struggled to defend Diane Abbott's comments

The government does not have a blank check to set up an offshore tax haven in Britain

Jeremy Corbyn

But close-ally Ms Abbott failed to attend the second vote on the bill and while she voted it through on the third reading she also severely criticised Brexit following the vote.

“We need to be clear, this isn’t Tony Benn Brexit: this is Donald Trump Brexit – and its got a very ugly side,” she told the BBC’s Newsnight programme.

Mr Corbyn told Stayt that his party was working to shape the nature of Brexit – despite failing to secure any amendments to the bill during its passage through Parliament.

He then moved on quickly to discuss how he had arranged to meet socialist leaders from around Europe.

“I had a meeting with members of the European parliament yesterday and in two weeks time I’m meeting socialist leaders from all across Europe to discuss and agree our relationship in future,” he said.

“The government does not have a blank check to set up an offshore tax haven in Britain. All that it has is the authority to proceed with negotiations, which is what the referendum is about.”

Mr Corbyn faced yet another rebellion by MPs over his three line whip on the article 50 bill, with a number of MPs quitting his front bench.

Ms Abbott’s lack of attendance to the vote provoked a big backlash from MP’s across the house.

Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey told the BBC: "Having said clearly that she was a Remainer and that she would be voting for Article 50 and then to not to turn up.

"It was pointless and did not really achieve anything. She should really just apologise to everyone as she has been behaving rather stupidly.”

Original Article