Weltnachrichten – AU – Keir Starmer whips his MPs to support the « thin » Brexit deal

Keir Starmer will whip Labor MPs to back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal when next week comes to Parliament, he has announced likely to provoke a rebellion from pro-EU backbenchers.

The Labor leader held a press conference after the prime minister announced the negotiations were over and said he had made the « hard decision » to support the deal. « If this deal comes before Parliament, Labor will accept it and vote for it, » he said.

Starmer called Johnson’s deal « thin » and said it would not uphold workers’ rights or adequately protect sectors like manufacturing and creative industries.

But he insisted that a no-deal exit from the transition period on Jan.. January next week is now the only other realistic possibility. “A better deal could have been negotiated. But I accept that option is gone now, ”he said.

Some Labor MPs had urged Starmer to abstain from voting on the deal, saying he could not hold the government accountable if Labor had backed them.

Others, including some of those who refused to vote to trigger the Article 50 process of leaving the EU, want Labor to vote against it.

Several members of the Shadow Cabinet – including Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Secretary of the Treasury Bridget Phillipson, and Shadow International Trade Secretary Emily Thornberry – have known concerns about the idea of ​​endorsing the deal but are expected to adhere to it hold the collective responsibility.

Dodds tweeted Thursday that the deal would have « significant negative effects » on GDP, noting that it would not have « exactly the same benefits » as EU membership – a promise Starmer considered recorded one of his « six tests » on Von Theresa May’s deal when he was the shadow Brexit secretary.

But Starmer insisted that “leadership is about making the tough decisions in the national interest,” adding, “It’s about being a serious, responsible opposition. At a moment of such national importance, Labor does not believe it is on the sidelines. ”

Johnson attacked Starmer this month in response to questions from the Prime Minister when he abstained from voting on an important vote on coronavirus restrictions.

He said his message to the government was, « We don’t accept this deal against any deal, but the consequences of it are yours. And yours alone. We will hold you accountable every second you are in power. The decision was confirmed in a shadow cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Both houses of parliament will be opened on 30. Recalled December, with the Commons sitting from 9 a.m.. 30 p.m. and the Lords from noon to push through a bill to implement the deal – possibly in a single day.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, has urged MPs and their staff to avoid travel wherever possible as Covid restrictions exist in many parts of the country and the disease is widespread in London.

With Labour’s support, even a substantial rebellion by Eurosceptic MPs on the Tory benches – which seems unlikely – will not prevent the deal from being reached.

But Starmer could face significant rebellion on his own side. Some Labor MPs suggest that dozens of colleagues could brave the whip who will not be able to use the traditional approach of personal conviction to win them over.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said his party has not yet decided how to vote on the deal, but he told BBC News: « Even on early analysis, our economy is looking pretty bad. « . ”

Labor Party, Keir Starmer, Brexit, Boris Johnson, European Union