Hilary Benn has called on the party to come out “loud and clear” in support of a second referendum, describing Brexit as a “complete and utter mess”. Speaking during a People’s Vote rally in Leeds today, he said: “We know, to use the technical term, that Brexit is a complete and utter mess. “I have never spoken on a People’s Vote platform before, but I too have come to the conclusion that the only way out of this mess is now to give the people a final say.
“So let’s say it clearly, let the party that I joined at 17 years of age say it loud and clear – we want a People’s Vote.”
Mary Creagh, the Labour MP for Wakefield, told the audience that she has called in private for her party to show “full-throated support” for a final vote being given to the people, adding: “We must campaign to remain.”
Speaking about reports that Conservative leadership candidate Boris Johnson had an angry argument at his home on Friday morning, she said: “We’ve heard some pretty troubling allegations today about Boris Johnson, and there are some pretty big questions about the character of the man who wants to be this country’s next prime minister and lead us through the biggest crisis in our post-war history.
“This is the day the Boris bubble burst.”
Meanwhile, Alastair Campbell, former spokesman for ex-prime minister Tony Blair, and who was recently expelled from the Labour party, told the crowd that there is “no mandate” for a no-deal Brexit.
Explaining how the event marked the launch of People’s Vote North, he said: “It is time to revoke the long-held media myth that the North is this mass of angry, decrepit Brexiteers.”
Sunday marks three years to the day since the UK voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.
Mr Johnson today took part in the first of 16 hustings in a head-to-head battle for the role of Prime Minister after Theresa May.
He dodged questions about why the Metropolitan Police were called to the home he shared with girlfriend Carrie Symonds following a complaint from a neighbour about the couple having a row.
The neighbour who made the complaint, Tom Penn, 29, said he heard the argument and only called police after knocking three times on Ms Symonds’ door and not getting a response.
The neighbour said he had since faced “bizarre and fictitious allegations” since the scandal broke.
The Metropolitan Police said no action was needed at the address.
