John McDonnell and Diane Abbott put pressure on Jeremy Corbyn by pledging to campaign for Remain in second Brexit referendum Labour has said it will campaign for a second referendum with options for both Leavers and Remainers – but Mr Corbyn has not chosen a side

John McDonnell and Diane Abbott have ramped up pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to support Remain in another Brexit referendum after saying they would both campaign to stay in the European Union.

The Labour leader gave a speech on Monday declaring he planned to oust the government in a vote of no confidence and, in a subsequent general election, campaign for a second Brexit referendum to put the decision back to the people.

While Mr Corbyn stopped short of saying Labour’s official position would be a Remain-supporting party, two of his most senior allies said they would personally support staying in the EU in any future referendum.

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Campaign to Remain

The shadow chancellor was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about Labour’s pledge to campaign for a public vote that promises to have “credible options on both sides”.

“Let’s be clear what [Mr Corbyn] is saying,” Mr McDonnell said. “A referendum with options put forward – one will be Remain of course and the other will be what some people think is credible.

“Let’s have that conversation wit the other opposition party leaders because I think, genuinely, people want to provide the electorate with a choice.

“I have made it clear from my personal position I’ll be campaigning for Remain, I think that is the best choice, but people will want to have a say and see whether there is another option.

“We have had that debate in parliament and that is why I have come down in favour of remain because I can’t see one that will have the same benefits as remain.”

Brexit ‘must go back to the people’

Great interview by @johnmcdonnellMP on Brexit. He says when there is a Brexit referendum he will campaign for remain. So will I #BrexitShambles https://t.co/Bu0xnE3EY2 — Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) August 19, 2019

Ms Abbott, the shadow home secretary, later tweeted that she agreed with Mr McDonnell and would also campaign to remain in another referendum.

In a speech in Corby, Mr Corbyn outlined his plan to hold a no confidence vote in Boris Johnson and, if successful, take over as interim prime minister, after which he would campaign for a general election.

He said: “Labour believes the decision on how to solve the Brexit crisis must go back to the people. And if there is a general election this autumn, Labour will commit to holding a public vote to give voters the final say with credible options on both sides including the option to remain.

“Three years of Tory failure on Brexit have caused opinions to harden to such a degree that I believe no outcome will now have legitimacy without the people’s endorsement.”

Referendum becoming more popular

Mr McDonnell added that he believed there was a “gaining majority” in Parliament for another public vote as more MPs get behind the idea.



He said: “The reason it has dragged on in the negotiations in the past to find out what is credible and what is not, and the debates in Parliament, is because the options that have been put forward have not been credible by Theresa May, and they have not been sound, even credible within the European debate that’s taking place.

“So I think there is a real route through now. The most important thing now is [to] block no-deal.

“I think there is a gaining majority now to say we have to go back to the people in some form of public vote and that is, in my view, a referendum, that’s the Labour party policy now, and therefore we are narrowing down the discussion into what then goes on the ballot paper.”