Labour ordered its MPs to abstain on a second referendum amendment but its internal divisions were laid bare by 24 MPs who defied the whip to support it.
The amendment, put down by the Independent Group (TIG), was roundly defeated on Thursday night by 334 votes to 85, with 17 Labour MPs voting against it. It would not have passed even if all those who abstained voted in favour.
Ruth Smeeth, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, quit her job as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson, to vote against the amendment. Others included those whose concerns were well known, such as Caroline Flint, Kate Hoey, John Mann and Gareth Snell.
Junior shadow ministers Yvonne Fovargue, Emma Lewell-Buck, Justin Madders, and Stephanie Peacock also voted against the second referendum amendment. All were reportedly asked to resign by Jeremy Corbyn’s office following the vote and it was announced that they had stepped down on Thursday night.
Flint, Hoey and Mann were also among six Labour MPs who voted against the Benn amendment that would have given parliament further control of the Brexit process. It was defeated by two votes.
Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, told the Commons of the second referendum amendment that Labour “was supportive of the principle, but it’s a question of timing”. This prompted Anna Soubry from TIG to call out “shame on you”.
The decision to abstain, so as to avoid a more profound split in the party, was underpinned by a statement from the People’s Vote campaign, which said: “We do not think today is the right time to test the will of the house on the case for a new public vote.”
Thursday’s votes were a moment, it said, “for parliament to declare it wants an extension of article 50 so that, after two-and-a-half years of vexed negotiations, our political leaders can finally decide on what Brexit means”.
Labour MPs who voted for a second referendum included David Lammy, Owen Smith and Siobhain McDonagh, considered by some as the most likely to defect to TIG. One MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, effectively abstained by walking through both lobbies.
McDonagh said: “Sometimes politics can be messy but I always think it’s better to try and be straightforward. I support a people’s vote and I will be voting for a people’s vote tonight. Simple. No ifs. No buts. No maybe next week. Just voting for it tonight.”
Smeeth, explaining her decision to quit as PPS to vote against the amendment, said: “I made a promise to my constituents that I would not consider a people’s vote, and I can’t just pretend this vote is not happening. I need to consider the views of my constituents and vote against the people’s vote.”
Senior party sources said they were suspicious of the motives of TIG in putting the amendment to the vote, and said they believed some were backing it in order to expose Labour tensions.
But TIG insiders said they were fed up with being told to wait for the right time to put the amendment to a vote. “So now we know it. Labour frontbench won’t support a people’s vote. Long suspected, now confirmed,” said Chris Leslie, one of TIG’s former Labour MPs.
Sarah Wollaston, who left the Conservatives for TIG, had twice talked about putting a second referendum amendment before MPs this year, but was persuaded by People’s Vote campaigners to withdraw, because of worries that a bad result in the Commons could damage the credibility of the campaign.
Labour MPs who are opposed to another referendum also enthusiastically backed the opportunity to hold a vote in parliament on the measure, with one saying it would “lance the boil” and prove there was no support in parliament for going back to the public.
Flint said she was “really delighted” that the Speaker, John Bercow, had selected the amendment as it gave her the opportunity to vote against it.
Phil Wilson said: “Other opposition parties and groupings may have their reasons for putting down an amendment on a people’s vote, but I will be abstaining today.”
Wilson has devised a different strategy towards a referendum with fellow Labour MP Peter Kyle, by offering an amendment at the next meaningful vote to back Theresa May’s deal in exchange for a people’s vote.
Alastair Campbell, a leading figure in the People’s Vote campaign, said it was wrong to press a second referendum amendment when the issue on Thursday was an extension to article 50.
Tony Blair’s former communications chief said a second referendum was “a possible solution to the current crisis, not an option within it” and that there would be more opportunities ahead when other options to solve the Brexit crisis had been exhausted.
