Barry Gardiner: Second EU referendum would undermine trust in democracy

A senior Labour frontbencher has said another EU referendum would "undermine trust in democracy", despite his own party now supporting one.



The Shadow International Trade Secretary told the BBC's Question Time that a so-called "People's Vote" on whether or not to overturn the result of the 2016 referendum would be "divisive".

His comments came just days after Labour announced that it would formally back another referendum between a "credible" Leave option and remaining in the EU.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that the party is considering giving its support to Theresa May's Brexit deal on the condition that it is put to the people in a public vote.

Jeremy Corbyn told Labour MPs and peers at a meeting on Monday that that the party would support another referendum as a way of blocking the Prime Minister's Brexit deal.

"One way or another, we will do everything in our power to prevent no deal and oppose a damaging Tory Brexit based on Theresa May’s overwhelmingly-rejected deal," he said.

"That’s why, in line with our conference policy, we are committed to also putting forward or supporting an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell went further on Wednesday by revealing Labour will table an amendment calling for a second referendum when the Prime Minister brings her deal back to the Commons later this month.

But on Question Time, Mr Gardiner made clear his strong opposition to another poll.

He said: "If we do end up with a second referendum, I still believe that that does undermine trust in democracy in this country.

"But what we’ve always said is that we will try anything we can. We’ve put forward our own suggestions, it’s always been the programme that we would judge her deal, whatever it was, when she brought it back. If we found that wanting, we would then put forward our own suggestion, if that didn’t get through we would call for a general election, if that didn’t get through then what we would do is we would do anything to stop a no deal, including a second referendum.

"I’ve always been clear that I think it is divisive, I think it does undermine trust, but I now believe it is the only way that we have to stop no deal."

PoliticsHome revealed that at Tuesday's meeting of the Shadow Cabinet, allies of Jeremy Corbyn made clear to him that they opposed another referendum.