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Grimsby MP Melanie Onn has entered into talks with Cabinet ministers about strengthening post-Brexit employment rights after she voted against delaying leaving the EU.

Despite being part of Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench team, Ms Onn defied party orders and abstained on three Labour-backed amendments on Tuesday. Two of the amendments would have delayed Brexit and the third could have paved the way to holding a second referendum – an option the town’s MP has already ruled-out supporting.

The shadow housing minister’s actions resulted in the Prime Minister sanctioning cross-party talks between Ms Onn and two of her senior Cabinet ministers, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Business Secretary Greg Clark. Ms Onn described the talks as “positive”.

The move is part of wider attempts by Downing Street to woo Labour Party MPs representing leave-voting constituencies and encourage them to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

(Image: Richard Addison)

Ms Onn was one of 11 Labour MPs to abstain on Yvette Cooper’s amendment, which would have delayed Britain’s EU exit by up to nine months, with another 14 MPs voting against it.

Key members of the PM’s team have now reportedly moved to either offer the rebellious MPs investment in their constituencies or to work with them to improve the deal with Brussels.

Ms Onn appealed to the PM in the House of Commons this week to look again at her proposed law for protecting workers’ rights after Brexit.

Her private members bill, which would have seen EU-level standards for rights such as maternity leave and sick pay mirrored even after the UK stops being a member, was talked out by Tories in 2017 after the Government refused to support it.

The former Unison trade union employee said: “The Prime Minister has referred repeatedly to protecting workers’ rights post-Brexit, but may I take her back to 2017 and my bill, which was specifically about protecting workers’ rights when we leave the European Union on 29 March?

(Image: Rob Stebbing)

“Why was that measure not adopted at the time and, if she is so committed to it, will she meet me to discuss those elements of the bill that she is prepared to adopt?”

Mrs May, in her reply, promised to meet with the Grimsby MP to discuss reviving the draft law – a suggestion which set in motion the meeting between Ms Onn and Mr Barclay and Mr Clark on Wednesday.

The PM is preparing to reopen negotiations with EU leaders in a bid to win support for her deal after seeing it defeated by a 230 majority two weeks ago. As part of the future talks, she has vowed, after meeting with Labour backbenchers and trade union officials, to legally-guarantee employment and environmental protections after March 29.

(Image: UK Parliament / Mark Duffy)

Mr Corbyn has urged his cohort not to be swayed by promises of Tory investment in their constituencies in exchange for supporting the PM and to continue pushing for a Labour government.

He said: “Clearly there has to be investment in those communities, but the Brexit plan proposed by Theresa May doesn’t solve that any more than the government's austerity programme is going to solve any of that.”

Ms Onn has so far remained in her front bench role, despite defying party orders to vote for the Yvette Cooper, Rachel Reeves and Dominic Grieve amendments this week.

She said: “Labour’s standing orders require members to notify in advance and in writing their voting decisions if they are contradictory to the whip, which I did.

“Suggestions that were put forward in Parliament were done with the very best of intentions but provided for up to nine months extension, which after two years I think is excessive. It also provided no plan or indication of what would happen at the conclusion of that period of time.

“For me, if [the PM] needs more time to get a deal, then she should come to the House and request it.”

Ms Onn backed an amendment calling on the Government to rule-out no deal and opposed Sir Graham Brady’s suggestion for an “alternative” to the Northern Irish backstop to be found.