Support for New Brexit Vote 'a Major Shift' in Labour's Policy - Commentator

Sputnik: Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour is prepared to back another EU referendum to prevent a "damaging Tory Brexit". How significant is this and what affect will it have on Brexit?

 

David Lindsay: Think it's very significant indeed I mean it is a mark shift in the policy of the Labour Party; now the matter goes to the floor of the House of Commons and it will be interesting to see whether this will happen, there may be just enough Labour MPs opposed to this to cancel out the conservatives who would be in favor of it. We are looking now at yet another absolutely knife-edge vote on the phone if an Official Opposition amendment for a second referendum where indeed to be tabled.

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Sputnik: On the other side of the house, Theresa May is facing the threat of a revolt by Remain-supporting ministers as she chairs a crucial cabinet meeting on her Brexit negotiations. Following Labour’s movement for a second referendum, could we see the PM follow suit and also include the option of a second referendum in her Brexit strategy?

David Lindsay: I don't think she'll go for a second referendum. She's very opposed to it. The interesting point is that insisting on the ruling out of a new deal Brexit, that many ministers and particularly the seniority of those who work in the Daily Mail on Saturday cannot be in revolt will they be sacked. What they're doing is articulating what the government and indeed the Prime Minister must really be thinking or if she would sack them. This is a strategy for announcing that she intends to rule out a no deal Brexit without her actually having to do it to make it look as if she's had to do at the party management purposes or what have you. This must be her view all those people will be out of a job

Sputnik: There are talks of article 50 being extended if a deal is not met. How likely is this and again, what effect would this have on both Corbyn and May’s Brexit strategy?

 

David Lindsay: I think it's already been agreed. There are ships that have set sail for this country for Japan and officially don't know whether they be allowed to unload when they get there whether or not they'll be a trade agreement. There are ships that have set sail from Japan for Britain in the same position and South Korea, also in Taiwan… there is no way that anyone would ensure that, yet every one of these ships is fully insured as far as I can tell it has already been raised by the people who decide these things there is going to be an extensive article 50 possibly even to the end of the year so the quite a prolonged one and everybody needs to know this and things like the city has already been informed. If that was not the case then people like Llyods of London would not be insuring those ships and they are.

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