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Our country is divided. Arguments over Brexit have been driving people apart in our communities and sometimes in the Labour Party too.

As democrats, Labour accepted the result of the 2016 referendum.

In our 2017 manifesto we committed to oppose a No Deal Brexit and the Tories’ disastrous Brexit plans – which threaten jobs, living standards, and the open multicultural society that we as internationalists value so much.

We developed a compromise plan based around a customs union, a strong single market relationship and protection of rights at work and environmental standards.

We continue to believe this is a sensible alternative that could bring the country together.

But the Prime Minister has refused to compromise and was unable to deliver, so we ended cross-party talks.

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Now both Tory leadership candidates are threatening a No Deal Brexit – or at best a race to the bottom and a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump that runs down industry, opens up our NHS to yet more privatisation, and shreds standards on vital things like food safety and workers’ rights.

I have spent the past few weeks consulting with all the different parts of the Labour movement – our members, MPs and the trade unions – on how we respond to this new situation.

Whoever becomes the new Prime Minister, they should have the confidence to put their deal, or No Deal, back to the people in a public vote.

In those circumstances, Labour would campaign for Remain against either No Deal or a Tory deal that threatens jobs and living standards.

Labour will always safeguard jobs, rights and living standards.

But no Brexit outcome alone can do that. We need a general election to bring real change to our country.

After nine years of austerity, too many cannot find secure, well-paid work and are relying on public services that have been savagely cut.

Our country is ravaged by inequality and rising poverty, huge regional imbalances of investment, and the Government is failing to tackle the climate emergency facing us all.

That is why we need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many not the few.