Jeremy Corbyn’s allies back SECOND Brexit vote after EU election meltdown as Labour leader ‘may be facing coup’
JEREMY CORBYN suffered open mutiny as his closest Labour allies backed a 2nd referendum after the party’s Euro Election drubbing.
In a huge intervention, Marxist Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said it was time for the party to back a People’s Vote “in any circumstances” after 39 per cent of Labour voters switched to the anti-Brexit Lib Dems and Greens.
And Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said Labour now had to “take a clearer line on a public vote”.
Results showed Labour came FIFTH in Scotland – its historic powerbase – after polling third in Wales and second in London.
Overall, the party came third behind the Brexit Party and the Lib Dems with just 14 per cent of the vote.
Furious Labour ‘Remain’ MPs demanded the leadership convene an extraordinary members’ ballot to “settle” the Brexit question by July.
Currently, in a convoluted policy, Labour has backed the option of campaigning for a public vote on Brexit if it fails to secure a General Election.
Sources even claimed there was even the possibility of a new leadership challenge if Mr Corbyn refused to budge.
But John McDonnell – Jeremy Corbyn’s closest friend in politics – broke cover in an intervention that threatened to unleash outright civil war in the party’s upper ranks.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “We are faced with prospect of a No Deal which could have catastrophic consequences for our economy.
“We have got to prevent that how do we do that? Realistically after last night there aren’t many Tory MPs who are going to vote for a General Election, it would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.
“So our best way is going back to the people in a referendum and I think that’s what our members want.
“So we are saying quite clearly if there can be a deal, great but it’s got to go back to the people.”
LABOUR FURY OVER POLLS MELTDOWN
He added: “If it’s a No Deal we’ve got to block it. And one way of doing that is going back to the people and arguing the case against it.”
Challenged if this meant Labour was now backing a referendum under any circumstances, he said: “I think so yes.”
Earlier Mr Corbyn had inched closer to backing a People’s Vote by saying that Labour had a “responsibility” to put any Brexit agreement to a public vote.
But he only vowed to listen to party members and supporters at his party conference later this September.
He said: “We are consulting all our members and all our affiliates and listening to the views of MPs and members of the Shadow Cabinet after last night’s election result.
“The country is very divided, it has to come together.”
Leading aides have been terrified open support for a People’s Vote will make it impossible to win a General Election given the need to win marginals across Leave-voting seats in North-East and the Midlands as well as Yorkshire.
Highlighting Labour’s plight, as well as losing voters to the Lib Dems and Greens, 13 per cent went to the Brexit Party.
The Brexit Party finished a staggering 25 points ahead of Labour in Kingston-upon-Hull on Sunday.
And Nigel Farage’s fledging party took 41 per cent of the vote in Wigan – the home of up and coming Labour backbencher Lisa Nandy.
Results across the country in full after Brexit Party victory
East of England (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 13%, Tories 10%, Labour 9%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1, Tories 1
East Midlands (5 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 17%, Labour 14%, Tories 11%, Greens 11%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 1, Labour 1
London (8 MEPs)
Lib Dems 27%, Labour 24, Brexit Party 18%, Greens 12%, Tories 8%, Change UK 5%, Ukip 2%
Lib Dems 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Brexit Party 2, Greens 1
North East (3 MEPs)
Brexit Party 39%, Labour 19%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 8%, Tories 7%, Ukip 6%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Labour 1
North West (8 MEPs)
Brexit Party 31%, Labour 22%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 13%, Tories 8%, Ukip 4%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
South East (10 MEPs)
Brexit Party 36%, Lib Dems 26%, Greens 14%, Tories 10%, Labour 7%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 2%
Brexit Party 4 MEPs, Lib Dems 3, Greens 1, Tories 1, Labour 1
South West (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 18%, Tories 9%, Labour 7% Ukip 3%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
West Midlands (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Labour 17%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 11%, Tories 10%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1, Tories 1
Yorkshire & Humber (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Labour 16%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 13%, Tories 7%, Ukip 4%, Yorkshire Party 4%, Change UK 2%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1
Wales (4 MEPs)
Brexit Party 33%, Plaid Cymru 20%, Labour 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 7%, Greens 6%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Plaid Cymru 1, Labour 1
Scotland (6 MEPs)
[Official results declared 11am, but nearly all votes are already counted]
SNP 38%, Brexit Party 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 12%, Scottish Labour 9%, Greens 8%
SNP 3 MEPs, Brexit Party 1, Lib Dems 1, Tories 1 (Predicted)
Northern Ireland (3 MEPs)
Full results expected Tuesday afternoon
JEZ ‘MAY BE FACING COUP’
Ex-Labour Minister Caroline Flint, the MP for Doncaster, stormed: “Democracy isn’t really democracy if we get to ignore the results we don’t agree with.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry launched the call for clearer support for a second referendum within minutes of count beginning at 10pm on Sunday night.
Deputy leader Tom Watson and Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer stepped up the demand in the early hours – piling huge pressure on Mr Corbyn.
Mr Watson posted a link on his website to a petition asking Labour supporters whether they would prefer Labour to agree a ‘new Brexit policy’ in an all member poll, special conference or wait until Labour party conference in September.
Separately, jubilant People’s Vote campaigners pointed to a new radical left-wing think tank Left2030 – which is demanding a new party strategy on Brexit.
A senior source said Labour heavyweights were clearly trying to “bounce” Jeremy Corbyn and his advisers into backing Remain and “stopping Brexit”.
And the push threatened to unleash a bitter civil war in Labour’s higher ranks.
Unite chief Len McCluskey accused Tom Watson of an anti-Corbyn plot. And he said his former pal was trying to “take on the role of Prince Machiavelli”.
Scottish ref plea
FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for a second vote on Scottish independence, after her SNP party rose to 37.7 per cent of Scotland’s vote.
The Brexit Party was second with 14.8 per cent, while Labour fell to fifth behind the Lib Dems and Tories.
BALLOT CALL
One MP said the party had to take on the four ‘M’s surrounding Jeremy Corbyn – Len McCluskey, chief of staff Karie Murphy, spokesman Seumas Milne and Andrew Murray, his main policy advisor.
And in an extraordinary separate spat, ex-BBC presenter turned Labour firebrand Paul Mason, called for the sacking of Milne, Murphy and party chair Ian Lavery. “If we want to win, they should be replaced by politicians and professional strategists,” he said.
Blow to the DUP
A PRO-Remain party has won a seat in Northern Ireland — piling pressure on the DUP.
Naomi Long, of the Alliance Party, said: “I was really clear that it is a vote to remain.”
The DUP, which has rejected all of Theresa May’s Brexit plans, won one of the other two seats, behind Sinn Fein.
MOST READ IN BREXIT
Mr Lavery – MP for Ashington a fierce critic of a second referendum hit back: “Picking on staff who cannot reply is the lowest of the low.
“I’m afraid you should be totally ashamed of yourself.”
What do MEPs do, what powers do they have and how can it affect the votes?
MEPs are Members of the European Parliament – representatives who sit in Europe on our behalf.
Britain has 73 of those who represent 12 of the country’s regions.
They join members from across the 28 other EU member states to form the European Parliament.
MEPs don’t make EU law but they do have the right to vote on directives and regulations that can be adopted by the other countries.
They do vote on whether to pass laws or not – including on workers’ rights, health and safety, climate change, health care and migration.
They essentially set the agenda in the EU.
The political parties from across the 28 countries form blocks with other like minded groups. Whichever group is the largest elects the European Parliament President.
MEPs also vote on the EU budget and influence how that money is spend.
They earn £7,957 a month – around the same as a British MP. MEPs also get a monthly allowance for expenses to cover their office, rent, phone or staff.
They can hold the European Commission to account and can force it to resign.
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