Andy Slaughter, Catherine West and Ruth Cadbury voted for amendment calling for UK to stay in EU single market

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Jeremy Corbyn has sacked three Labour frontbenchers who voted against the party in favour of a Queen’s speech amendment calling for Britain to remain within the customs union and single market.

Queen's speech passes as 50 Labour MPs defy Corbyn and back staying in single market - Politics live Read more

The Labour leader, who has been emboldened by the general election result, decided to take a tougher approach than after the vote to trigger article 50, when shadow ministers who rebelled were allowed to remain in position.



Shadow housing ministers Andy Slaughter and Ruth Cadbury and shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West joined dozens of Labour backbenchers, the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru in backing the amendment.



A fourth frontbencher, Daniel Zeichner, the MP for pro-remain Cambridge, stepped down as shadow transport minister before the vote, arguing that he had to back the position on principle.

Daniel Zeichner (@DanielZeichner) I'm a passionate pro-European & straight-forward politician so I've taken hard decision to resign as shadow minister to back Single Market.

The amendment attracted the support of 101 MPs across different parties, including 49 Labour politicians who defied the leadership. It called for the government not to leave the EU without a deal, to guarantee a parliamentary vote on the final outcome of negotiations, to set in place transitional arrangements, and to “set out proposals to remain within the customs union and single market”.

Other demands included more respect for the devolved administrations and clear protections for EU nationals already living in the UK.

Corbyn ordered his MPs to abstain on the wording because, although Labour policy chimes with most of the sentiment, the party does not support the bid to keep full membership of the single market.

Chuka Umunna, one of the Labour MPs who led the motion alongside Stephen Doughty and Kate Green, tweeted:

Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) As I said to constituents during the election,I'll keep fighting to keep us in the Single Market and Customs Union -the best deal for the UK

Theresa May passed her Queen’s speech with the support of the DUP, securing a majority of 14 as 323 backed her legislative package and 309 opposed it.

Labour’s frontbench amendment to end the public sector pay cap, introduce a higher minimum wage and increase taxes on the wealthy was defeated by 323 votes to 297.

“The Conservatives survived by the skin of their teeth today, supported by the DUP, but this is a government in chaos,” said Corbyn, claiming May’s party was “all over the place” on Brexit, and was saying one thing while doing another on public sector pay.

“This government is out of control, with no mandate for continued cuts to our schools, hospitals, police and other vital public services or for a race-to-the-bottom Brexit. Labour will oppose these policies every step of the way,” the Labour leader added.

“Labour offers a clear alternative, laid out in our manifesto, which would put wealth, power and opportunity back in the hands of the many, not the few.”

As sources confirmed that MPs were being dismissed from frontbench positions, one Labour politician said: “It is disappointing, when the frontbench have been reaching out to try to attract new members over recent days, that members who had quite clearly stated positions on the single market and customs union, and were elected on that basis, should be punished for sticking by their principles.”

He argued that there were “a range of views in the party on the approach to Brexit, which is not surprising given the views in the country, and we need to be working together to find common ground”.

Cadbury, in a statement issued after Corbyn’s move, said: “During the recent election campaign I made an explicit commitment to the voters in Brentford and Isleworth that I would do all in my power to secure a Brexit settlement that secured jobs, rights and environmental protections.

“I received strong support for my position from my constituents, particularly young people voting for the first time and many others who voted Labour for the first time. It was a key reason my vote increased by over 10,000.

“Therefore I had no doubt that I had to support the amendment moved by Labour colleagues with cross-party support today. The amendment ruled out withdrawing from the EU without a deal, sought a parliamentary vote on the final negotiations and proposed to remaining in the customs union and single market.”

She added: “This is a point of principle for me and I felt bound to honour the commitment I had made to voters. I was aware that, as I was breaking the whip, I could not retain my frontbench role.”

Some Labour MPs campaigned on a soft Brexit position, but the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, has argued that the important factor is that Britain enjoys the benefits of the single market, even if membership is not possible.



The leadership has been frustrated by backbenchers organising in favour of single-market membership, with 50 Labour MPs, MEPs and peers joining together to launch a group opposing hard Brexit. They signed a statement claiming that young voters backed their party in 2017 because they wanted it to “stop the Tories in their tracks” over Brexit.

The group, made up of politicians on the left and right of the party, claimed the best way to do that was by “fighting unambiguously for membership of the single market”.

Tim Farron, the outgoing Liberal Democrat leader, said people would regret backing Labour in the hope that the party would change the direction on Brexit.

“Millions of people who voted for Jeremy Corbyn were hoping for a new approach to Brexit. They will be feeling utterly betrayed tonight that he has yet again failed to oppose this government’s extreme Brexit agenda,” he said. “On the most important issue of the day, Jeremy Corbyn ordered his MPs to sit on their hands.”

James Cleverly, the Conservative MP, said: “When it comes to Brexit, Labour are in total chaos. There is deep division at the heart of the Labour party on the most crucial issue facing the country today – they still can’t agree on the fundamentals and would get the worst Brexit deal at the highest price.”