JEREMY CORBYN will suffer “his Iraq moment” if Labour fails to back a second referendum in its Euro Election manifesto, a senior MP claims.
Ben Bradshaw yesterday said Labour would “haemorrhage” members, activists and MEPs if its ruling National Executive Council (NEC) fails to agree to call for a confirmatory vote at a crunch manifesto meeting tomorrow.
AP:Associated Press
Referring to the exodus suffered by Tony Blair in the early 2000s over the Iraq War, Mr Bradshaw said: “It will be like Jeremy Corbyn’s Iraq moment.
“Tuesday’s NEC is the most important in our party’s history.”
The blast came as deputy leader Tom Watson appealed directly to supporters to bombard NEC members with their demands for a second referendum.
And he was backed by Momentum co-founder Jon Lansman.
About 100 Labour MPs and MEs want the promise put in the manifesto.
But Shadow Business Minister Rebecca Long Bailey highlighted the civil war by saying a referendum wasn’t a “red line” in Brexit talks with the Government.
“We have to be flexible in where we move,” she said.
On Saturday, Jeremy Corbyn said: “We would prefer to have a General Election but failing that if we get (Brexit) agreement we are prepared to consider putting it to a confirmatory vote.”
Tuesday’s crunch meeting comes after Labour admitted it was redrafting European election leaflets after the first ones went off to printers without a Brexit referendum pledge.
Internal polling is thought to warn that Labour has no chance of winning 75 target seats if it backs a second referendum or ‘Remain’.
Alamy Live News
PA:Press Association
