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18 October 2019

This is the text of a letter being sent to all Labour MPs - jointly signed by Manuel Cortes, TSSA General Secretary and Brendan Chilton, Director Labour Leave.

Boris Johnson has brought back his Withdrawal Agreement from Brussels and it will be debated tomorrow in a special sitting of the House of Commons. We are urging you to stand by Labour's 2017 manifesto commitment and reject his Withdrawal Agreement deal.

Johnson's is recognised by almost everyone as worse than any deal negotiated by Theresa May. 90 per cent of what Boris Johnson has secured is exactly the same as the deal secured by former Prime Minister, Theresa May.

Parliament rejected her deal three times and it is now being asked to vote on a bad deal for a fourth time.

The Prime Minister has betrayed his allies in the DUP. His watering down of the Irish backstop now means there will be a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Our country will be divided at a time when people across your four nations need to come together.



As John McDonnell said: “The more people examine the text of Johnson's deal, the more you realise what a sell out deal it is. It’s not just the DUP, he’s sold out virtually every sector of our economy and all those who may have voted to leave believing a deal could be secured that protected their jobs.”

Boris Johnson’s deal will see workers’ rights, consumer and social protections as well as environmental safeguards put at risk. Regulations on State Aid will limit a future Labour government's ability to transform our economy for the many.

We, the undersigned, both campaigned on different sides during the referendum, but we both believe this deal to be bad for our country, bad for our economy and bad for working people that we are uniting to call on you all to reject this deal.

It does not deliver for those who voted leave.

Jeremy Corbyn is right to oppose this deal. All Labour MPs must join him. All of you were elected on a manifesto commitment to oppose "a damaging Tory Brexit."

We urge every Labour Member of Parliament to honour the manifesto commitment to which you pledged yourself before your constituents and your country in 2017 and oppose this truly damaging Tory Brexit.



In solidarity

Manuel Cortes, TSSA General Secretary

Brendan Chilton, Director Labour Leave