John McDonnell has played down speculation that any more than a handful of Labour MPs could vote for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal on Saturday, saying he was hoping to persuade his colleagues to hold firm.
Several have already said they will back the plan. McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said there would be “consequences” for any who did, but did not specify whether this could include losing the party whip.
With the Democratic Unionist party holding firm in its opposition to an arrangement that creates an effective customs border in the Irish Sea, the votes of rebel Labour MPs could be crucial in Saturday’s vote.
McDonnell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he expected the numbers to be limited. He said: “I don’t believe there are Labour MPs out there who will not think through the detail of this deal and then when they see the impact, particularly environmental, consumers’ and workers’ rights, will vote for it.”
Among Labour MPs who have said they will vote for the deal are Jim Fitzpatrick, who represents Poplar and Limehouse, and the Blyth Valley MP, Ronnie Campbell.
Asked about Campbell’s views, McDonnell said: “I’m going to have a chat with Ronnie because he is a good socialist and all his life he has fought alongside me to protect trade union rights and develop trade union rights.
“On this one I’m going to have a chat with him and point out to him: please do not give this power to Boris Johnson because you know what he’ll do. He’ll undermine trade union rights. Boris Johnson and those Tory MPs that populate the cabinet, these are the extreme right who have attacked trade unions throughout their political careers.”
He added: “No MP, as far as I’m concerned, who has the true interest of their constituents at heart can allow that to happen.”
Asked what would happen to Labour MPs who supported the deal, McDonnell would not say whether they could lose the whip.
“This is a three-line whip and the chief whip, in the normal way, will determine the consequences for anyone who doesn’t vote for it,” he said. Asked what they might be, he replied: “I’m not the chief whip thank goodness; I’ve got enough on my plate.”
Earlier, the DUP’s Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson, told Today that he could give his “absolute assurance” the party would not back the deal.
On Johnson’s concessions to the EU over different customs arrangements for Northern Ireland, Wilson said: “We are disappointed he didn’t stick to the red lines he said he would.”
Wilson said he believed a better path would be for the deal to fall and Johnson to seek a bigger Commons majority via an election: “I believe, with a big majority, he can be more robust in his negotiations,” he said.
“It is one of the reasons why we believe that voting this down tomorrow is not the end of the game but in fact probably opens up possibilities for the government that are not available at present but will be after a general election.”