UK opposition leader Corbyn to back call for second Brexit vote

The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, will tell his MPs to back a call for a second referendum on Brexit, his party has said.

Corybn will on Monday evening tell Labour MPs the party is “committed to … putting forward or supporting an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory [Conservative] Brexit being forced on the country,” a statement on the party’s website said.

The statement said Labour would put an amended plan for Brexit to the British parliament this week and also support a separate cross-party motion which seeks to rule out the possibility of the UK exiting the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

The amended plan would include “close alignment” with the EU’s single market, protection for Britain’s role in the bloc’s various agencies and a wide-reaching “security agreement”, the statement added.

Labour’s Brexit  Secretary Kier Starmer said the party would support a second public vote on membership of the EU should MPs vote against Labour’s Brexit plan.

“ If Parliament rejects our plan, then Labour will deliver on the promise we made at our annual conference and support a public vote,” Starmer said in a tweet.

This week Labour will put its alternative plan for a vote in the House of Commons.

If Parliament rejects our plan, then Labour will deliver on the promise we made at our annual conference and support a public vote. https://t.co/EjCifYCDJP

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 25, 2019

Labour’s announcement comes after British Prime Minister Theresa May postponed on Sunday an expected “meaningful vote” on her widely maligned Brexit plan, which had been expected to be held this week.

May said MPs would have their say on the divorce deal sometime before March 13 instead.

More soon…