Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour will solve the issue of Brexit within six months of winning a general election, according to a draft statement on the party’s position seen by Reuters news.
The statement reportedly says that Mr Corbyn would forge a divorce agreement with Brussels in three months if he secures a place in No.10 Downing Street. Following that, Labour would hold a referendum on the terms of that deal, giving the British public the chance to vote for it or to remain in the EU.
According to Reuters, the statement says that, “after three years of shambolic Tory negotiations and parliamentary deadlock, a Labour government will get Brexit sorted one way or another within six months of coming to power."
With Mr Corbyn in the negotiating seat, Labour would, the draft allegedly reads, “secure a sensible leave deal with the EU within three months, and within six months would put it before the people in a referendum alongside the option to remain.”
Some however, were apparently not to convinced that Mr Corbyn has the mettle to forge a new divorce deal.
Despite such a staunch pledge, Corbyn has long been criticised within his party for not taking a decisive and clear stand on Labour’s Brexit trajectory. Moreover, the party’s internal divisions have only been exacerbated over the past few days as Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee pushed a motion on Friday evening to abolish the position of deputy leader, which would have seen ardently pro-Remain Tom Watson forced from his job.
Mr Watson has repeatedly locked horns with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit and has been calling for the party to unequivocally come down on the side of Remain in any future Brexit referendum.
However, Mr Corbyn this morning intervened to stop the move from going ahead. Asked by reporters whether Tom Watson has his “full confidence,” Mr Corbyn responded, “Tom Watson is the deputy leader of the party and I enjoy working with him.”
Watson addressed the attempt to oust him in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, which he slammed as equivalent to a political “drive-by shooting.”