Shadow Brexit secretary says any agreement would need to be subject to fresh referendum
Labor will take action in the courts to preventBoris Johnsonfrom pushing through a no-deal Brexit against the will of parliament, Keir Starmer has pledged.
The shadow Brexit secretary said that if the prime minister is unable to reach an agreement with Brussels by 31 October, he must comply with the Benn act andseek a further delay.
In a speech at the Co-operative party conference in Glasgow, Starmer said: “If he can’t – or I should say won’t – get a deal we will take whatever steps are necessary to prevent our country crashing out of the EU without a deal.
“If no deal is secured by this time next week, Boris Johnson must seek and accept an extension. That’s the law. No ifs, no buts. And if he doesn’t, we’ll enforce the law – in the courts and in parliament. Whatever it takes, we will prevent a no-dealBrexit. ”
Starmer dismissed suggestions that the prime minister could circumvent the law by accompanying a request for an extension with a second letter to the EU saying he did not want one.
“That’s the equivalent of attaching a Post-it note to divorce papers saying‘ only kidding ’- It’s a ridiculous idea,” he said.
Officials are continuing talks in Brussels over the weekend after the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier,gave the go-aheadon Friday for intensive negotiations to start.
Starmer said that if the prime minister succeeded in getting an agreement, (Labor) would demand it was put to the public in a referendum.
The Labor MP and former director of public prosecutions added that with parliament to sit in aspecial emergency sessionnext Saturday, it appeared any agreement would be “even worse” than Theresa May’s rejected deal.
“No level playing field protections. No customs union. A green light to deregulate. That kind of deal can never be one Labor supports, ”he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Nicky Morgan said the prospects of a Brexit dealappeared to be “promising”after the meeting between Johnson and Ireland’s Leo Varadkar.
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