Tom Watson, the deputy leader of the Labour party, has urged his colleagues to work with the Liberal Democrats to avoid a no-deal Brexit in a move that is likely to anger his party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Speaking alongside Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson at an event in central London on Tuesday, Mr Watson said that those in parliament opposed to Boris Johnson’s position to leave the EU on October 31, with or without a deal, should put aside their differences and collaborate across party lines this autumn.
“Everyone who cares about democracy, our country and our future must work together because there are enough of us — from all parties in parliament — to stop him [Mr Johnson],” he said.
“That means working together to stop no deal for which there is no majority in either parliament or the country. We can’t allow dirty tricks that would for example see the UK crash out of Europe with no-deal during an election campaign.
“Whether you’re Liberal Democrats, social democrats or democratic socialists, we are all democrats. And democrats have got to realise in this crisis that we’re stronger together if we work together.”
Ms Swinson, who was elected leader of the Lib Dems last month, said she was similarly “committed to working with others across party lines in parliament to stop no-deal Brexit”.
“This is no time for tribalism. That is why I am pleased to be here today with Tom to show that there is a desire across the political spectrum to stop Boris Johnson’s reckless no-deal Brexit plan and instead deliver a brighter future inside the EU.”
One shadow cabinet ally of Mr Corbyn described Mr Watson’s declaration as “predictable, but not going anywhere”.
“Labour party members know perfectly well that Ramsay McDonald’s national government nearly destroyed the Labour party in the 1930s. It too was meant to be temporary but kept Labour out of power for a generation,” the senior frontbencher said.
“Forming some ‘temporary” national government will be out of the question for almost all Labour MPs. And will certainly be out of the question for their members.
“As for ‘Ramsay McWatson’ himself, his history of knifing Labour leaders in the back makes him less credible than he thinks he is.”
The move by Mr Watson, a passionate Remainer who operates outside Mr Corbyn’s inner circle, will raise concern among the Labour leadership that he is planning to try to form a caretaker government with Ms Swinson if the Johnson government collapsed in the face of parliamentary opposition to its Brexit plans this autumn.
Allies of Mr Corbyn, including shadow chancellor John McDonnell, have said that he would participate in an administration to avoid no-deal Brexit only if the Labour leader was at the helm. “It would be a Labour government because we wouldn’t enter into coalitions or pacts,” he said.
But Ms Swinson and other senior Liberal Democrats have categorically ruled out working with Mr Corbyn, citing his past record as a supporter of Brexit as a reason he cannot be trusted. Without the support of the party’s 13 MPs, Labour would not be able to command the confidence of the House of Commons.
“There are plenty of people in the Labour party that I can work with, that I do work with. But Jeremy Corbyn is a Brexiter. He cannot be trusted on Brexit. That is abundantly clear,” Ms Swinson said last month.
One senior Liberal Democrat MP told the FT that they could not “conceive of any circumstances” in which the party would put Mr Corbyn into Downing Street. “He’s not only dangerous for our national security but for our economic security too.” A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn declined to comment.
