Black Country MP Pat McFadden calls for second referendum
A Black Country MP has joined a campaign calling for Jeremy Corbyn to officially back a second EU referendum.
Pat McFadden is one of 71 Labour MPs to back the People's Vote campaign, which wants a new public vote in the belief that Brexit should be scrapped.
The Wolverhampton South East MP supported Remain in the 2016 referendum. His constituency voted 67.8 per cent in favour of Leave.
Mr McFadden today said the scale of last night's defeat left the Prime Minister's approach in tatters and meant there was little hope of any similar deal being approved.
'People deserve honesty'
"Her proposal satisfied neither Leavers nor Remainer," he said.
"Leavers didn't feel it really represented Brexit and Remainers could see it was worse than our current deal.
"It is important that we avoid leaving without a deal in place. From the point of view of manufacturing, smooth supplies of essential goods and many other things that would be very damaging for the UK and it is not what was promised in 2016.
"With Parliament in gridlock and the March deadline looming we have to decide a way forward.
"People deserve honesty from their MPs and I have always been clear about my views on this.
"The case for giving people the final say on what happens now is growing.
"If people still want to leave on the basis of looking at the PM's deal and the experience of the last two years, they could still vote to do so. And if people want to reconsider or vote to stay they could do that too."
It comes as Theresa May prepares to face a no confidence vote this evening after the Government lost last night's vote by the biggest margin in British political history.
'National crisis'
In a statement, the MPs supporting the People's Vote branded Jeremy Corbyn's call for a renegotiation with the EU as "not realistic", saying that removing the Government from office "may prove impossible" and that it was time for the public to have another say on Brexit.
The statement said: "We represent hugely diverse constituencies from the North to the South, from Wales to Scotland.
"Many of our constituencies voted to Leave in 2016. We must listen to and respond to the reasons why people did so.
"But we now face a moment of national crisis, where the facts and the views of many people have changed – and are continuing to change.
"It is now clear renegotiation is not a realistic prospect. No deal would be a catastrophe which we must resolutely oppose.
Extension
"The Government should seek an extension to Article 50 to provide time for Parliament to find a way forward. Theresa May has failed to bring this country back together.
"Labour’s conference adopted a clear policy for this situation.
"We must try and remove this Government from office as soon as possible.
"But the removal of the Government and pushing for a General Election may prove impossible, so we must join Trade Unions, our members and a majority of our constituents by then unequivocally backing the only logical option to help our country move forward: putting the decision back to the people for a final say, in a public vote, with the option to stay and keep the deal that we have.
"Defeat of the Tory deal in a public vote would give us all a chance to campaign for the anti-austerity policies and a Labour government that deals with the true causes of the Brexit vote, and a reformed Europe that works for all people."
Mr Corbyn's official Brexit policy – agreed at last year's party conference – is to force a snap General Election, before pressing ahead with Brexit on terms negotiated by a newly-elected Labour administration.
Should that fail, the party has committed to leaving all options on the table, including a second referendum.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said today that while there was "strong support" in the party for another referendum, an early General Election was the priority.
The statement has also been signed by 13 Labour MEPs. Organisers say another 24 Labour MPs have publicly backed a second referendum, but haven’t signed the statement for administrative reasons.
