My record on Brexit
The Referendum in 2016 was a democratic vote, which demanded the result should be respected. It was also an instruction to the Government to act on this basis to negotiate the terms for Britain leaving. This was – and remains – the duty of Government, as only governments can negotiate Britain’s withdrawal from or acceptance of international treaties. Britain’s exit should have been done and dusted by now. But for more than three years, the Tories have failed to negotiate a good enough deal to command support in parliament or in public. So the country remains in deadlock and ever more deeply divided. Labour – in Opposition and with around 60 fewer MPs than the Tories – has consistently argued for a better Brexit deal than the terms the Tories have tried to agree, that gets us out of the EU but does not cut us off from Europe. This is also what I have argued for, both in public and in the Labour Party. I believe there is a good Brexit deal to be done in both UK and EU interests,