The party’s EU election drubbing has brought to the surface rows that have been rumbling for some time
Since its dismal showing in the European elections, Labour has been in an extended row about Brexit. Strikingly, this spat is specifically between sections of the Jeremy Corbyn-supporting left of the party.
On one side, its ranks swelled by those sobering election results, is the view that Labour’s loss of sizeably more support to the Liberal Democrats and Greens than to the Brexit party shows that the leadership should unequivocally back a second vote. Others reject this as a distraction, saying that backing remain now would wreck the party. Immediately after the EU election exodus, Corbyn pledged support for a referendum on any Brexit deal. Key allies John McDonnell and Diane Abbott also spoke forcefully in favour of a public vote. But the party leader has since rowed back, in a now familiar pattern – one Labour MP describes this as a “tug of war” between pro- and anti-referendum wings.
To fight on the terrain the party should be – it has to first reckon with the turf we are actually standing on
Related: Corbyn pledges Labour will back referendum on any Brexit deal
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