In the social media swirl surrounding Saturday’s Brexit vote, one parliamentary correspondent noted he had seen Labour’s chief whip walk past carrying a large roll of black duct tape. On a day when every Labour vote was critical, it sparked bemused speculation as to what the tape was for: holding the party’s more wavering MPs hostage? Or just forcing Jacob Rees-Mogg to sit up properly?
Rebel Labour MPs want to support a Brexit deal either because they sit in a heavily leave-voting seat, are Brexiters themselves, or think it should happen because Britain (narrowly) voted for Brexit – or any combination of those three. We aren’t talking huge numbers – the government calculated it potentially had the support of some 15 Labour rebel MPs for Saturday’s non-vote. But things are increasingly tight and increasingly critical: Boris Johnson’s government is pushing an extreme Brexit and has decimated its narrow minority by alienating allies and its own MPs. Every time there’s a Brexit vote, there is a huge Labour operation to keep MPs on side. So far they have been successful, with Theresa May losing three meaningful votes on a Brexit deal, and Johnson’s version now being paused to allow proper scrutiny.
Trade unions in particular are sensitive to the feelings of those Labour MPs in leave constituencies who are conflicted
Related: Labour seeks new alliance to kill off Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal
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