Why Jeremy Corbyn's shift to back remain only exposes more Labour Party Brexit divisions
Angus Walker
Former ITV News Correspondent
Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Angus Walker
After months of internal wrangling over its Brexit position, Labour is now saying it has a firm answer to that awkward question: is it a party of remain or leave?
In an email to party members today, Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for remain against either No Deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy or jobs."
Clear enough? Well it still requires a certain amount of explaining.
We now know that Labour would call for a Tory Brexit Deal or No Deal to be put to a second vote and would campaign for Remain in that scenario.
However, if Labour won a general election and managed to negotiate its own Brexit deal, it would also put that to a second vote but would campaign for its own deal. In other words, it would be campaigning for Leave in that scenario.
Confused? Many voters were by Labour’s “constructive ambiguity” strategy during the recent local and European Elections.
On doorsteps up and down the country, activists were unable to clearly explain what the Brexit policy exactly was. After a dismal performance in the European elections at the end of May, one Labour MEP told me that election strategy had been “kamikaze”. If there was a clear message from those elections it was that voters want to hear a clear message on Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn’s latest move is aimed to placate those within Labour, including the Deputy Leader Tom Watson, who’ve been calling for an unambiguous position and want Labour to become an out-and-out Remain party.
To be clear, it hasn’t done that.
Mr Watson says he is happy with the pre-election policy but that further discussions will be needed when the election comes
There is still wriggle room in the so-called second scenario which would see Labour win power, negotiate its own Brexit deal, put that to a vote, win that, and leave the EU. That strategy is aimed at placating Labour’s Leave supporters and MPs. However, it's not clear what this would look like in a manifesto and would Labour MPs be allowed to campaign against their party's own deal?
The problem with the policy is that lots of 'ifs' and 'buts' are still required.
Remain supporters will still say this shift is only another pigeon step and not going far enough. In aiming to unite the party, this latest move by the Labour leader still exposes the lingering Brexit divisions.
This latest announcement follows a shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning and a meeting with trade union leaders on Monday.
The bosses of Labour's five biggest affiliated unions back the move the party has made, but also for it to hold a "confirmatory vote" on any new deal it negotiated, if Labour won a general election.
The accusation is that Labour has moved from fudge to fudge, many within the party who support a second referendum and want the party to be unambiguously pro-Remain will say this looks like another muddle, just a slightly different flavour.