Kezia Dugdale blasts Jeremy Corbyn over ‘lazy’ EU referendum campaign

Recently resigned Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has attacked Jeremy Corbyn over his "lazy and lacklustre" campaign to keep Britain in the EU.



Ms Dugdale, who last month stood aside as head of the party north of the border said she was “fraught with anger and frustration” over Brexit and launched a scathing critique of her own party’s leadership.

The former leader also called for a second referendum on the final terms of the negotiations.

Writing for the Daily Record, the MSP also said she was “embarrassed” by Labour’s failure to hold a meaningful vote on Brexit policy at their party conference in Brighton.

In a direct swipe at Mr Corbyn, she asked: “Whatever happened to straight talking honest politics?”

“I blame David Cameron for calling a referendum no one wanted in the first place, but I also blame my party, the Labour party for a totally lazy and lacklustre Remain campaign that got us here," she wrote.

“And yes, I blame Jeremy Corbyn too for failing to use the power of his popular appeal to convince traditional Labour voters to see that Europe creates more good than harm.”

She added: “Now the country has spoken, I’m embarrassed by the complete paucity of my party to say and do the right thing no matter how hard or unpopular that might be at first.

“Seriously, Labour have just denied their own members a meaningful vote on the issue of Brexit at party conference – whatever happened to straight talking honest politics?”

Ms Dugdale - who endorsed Owen Smith in last year’s leadership challenge to Mr Corbyn - faced a strained relationship with the Islington North MP over issues such as whether a second Scottish referendum should be held.

However, Labour's former head at Holyrood also wrote that people should “take back control” and demand another vote on whether Britain leaves the European Union.

“If the UK Parliament and the other 27 nations of Europe get a final say on the deal, why shouldn’t we?,” she added.

“No one voted to be poorer but that’s what we’re all going to be.

“Brexit is spiralling out of control and out of the interests of working people. That’s why we the people should take back control with a final vote on the deal.”