Tom Watson: Public vote can end Brexit 'white noise'

Theresa May has asked the EU to extend Article 50 until June 30, but Labour deputy leader Mr Watson warned that a public vote was the only way to heal the country's Brexit division.

He said that despite talks between Labour and the Government it was "unlikely" that any alternative deal would be agreed, meaning Parliament could face years more of deadlock over Brexit.

The West Bromwich East MP told the E&S: "There's a white noise of Brexit and if we carry on like this we could be doing this for year's ahead, and that's not fair on anyone.

"For any deal to be completely legitimate and if we want to heal the division in the country over this, I think the only way we could all put it behind us is if this deal is agreed in Parliament and put to the people.

"People would be able to see what Britain looks like out of the EU under the deal agreed by Theresa May.

"It's the only way we can put Brexit to bed."

Mr Watson, who represents a constituency that voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, said it was "not ideal" to have to go back to the people.

"It represents parliamentary failure," he said. "We have had three years in Parliament to get this through and we have failed.

"But how we got to this crisis probably no longer matters.

"We could have made decisions earlier that would have meant we wouldn't have needed a people's vote, but those decisions were not made."

Mr Watson conceded that there were people in his constituency who had told him that another vote on Brexit would undermine the decision of the 2016 referendum.

But he added: "What is being proposed is not a second referendum and it would mean taking politicians out of the process. The people would be authorising the Prime Minister whether to sign the treaty or not.

"It would not go back to MPs to have another two-year row, it would be over and done with and this period of political turbulence would finally be at an end.

"We can then move on as a country and deal with all the other issues that people are concerned about."

After between Mrs May and Jeremy Corbyn broke down yesterday, Mr Watson said he was sceptical of the chances of any alternative deal being agreed. He said that after the 2017 snap election it was "always obvious" that the Prime Minister would have to work with other parties to get a deal through Parliament.

"She should have realised then that she had to reach out across the chamber, bearing in mind there are some people in her party who are opposed to anything she tries to do.

"This is the first time they have been in a room with civil servants going through things in detail. It is going to take a bit of time, but I think an alternative deal is unlikely at this stage.

"It's entirely possible that we won't get an outcome, mainly because of the parliamentary arithmetic."

Mrs May's request to delay Brexit came as EU Commission president Donald Tusk suggested a 12-month "flexible extension" was "the only sensible way out' of the present deadlock".

It means that Britain is now likely to have to take part in next month's Euro elections, prompting Nigel Farage to confirm that he will be leading The Brexit Party into them.

West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge said he was ready and waiting for the former Ukip leader's call. "Nigel always said he would return if Brexit was betrayed and now he is going to come back with a vengeance," he said.

"I believe the party will make huge gains across the country and particularly in the West Midlands with both old parties paying a heavy price for denying us the independence we voted for .

"I will be throwing myself 100 per cent behind Nigel and the fight for freedom. We will achieve Brexit no matter what the schemers in Westminster do to try to scupper it."