Second Referendum A Way Through Brexit Impasse

19 January 2019, 15:53

A Labour and Co-op MP has called on the Labour Party to adopt the second referendum as official party policy as a way of breaking through an "impasse" over Brexit.

Geraint Davies MP said that a second referendum is the way forward as Labour policy after the Brexit process fell into deadlock when Theresa May's Brexit deal was defeated in Parliament.

The Prime Minister renewed calls for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to join her to discuss ways to break the Brexit impasse, but he has so far declined invitations unless Mrs May makes a "commitment to rule out no deal".

Labour frontbencher and shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer has also put pressure on his party to back a second referendum, saying Labour had reached the "third phase" of its policy.

Mr Davies said that that people who voted to leave the European Union should have a say on whether Theresa May's dxit deal fulfils the promises that were made to them.

Speaking to Ian Payne, he said: "They should have a chance to judge whether the deal on the table actually fulfils reasonable expectations on the promises made - I think they don't and they can't, and I'm against Brexit, but they need that right."

Asked whether he thought Jeremy Corbyn should be more open to supporting a second referendum, Mr Davies said: "I think the way through the impasse is a public vote."