Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Sadiq Khan calls for Labour to back second referendum before election

Exclusive: London mayor says party should back remain to outflank Lib Dems
Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, has called on Jeremy Corbyn to opt for a second referendum before a general election, saying it would be both electorally damaging and fundamentally wrong to continue with the party’s current Brexit policy.

Khan, one of the party’s most powerful office-holders, called on Labour to ballot its members on whether the party should immediately back remaining in the EU, branding the existing position a “fudge” that risked losing the next election.

Speaking at his offices in City Hall, he said it was both “the wrong policy and also electorally bad” for the party to go into an imminent general election without telling voters Labour is in favour of staying in the EU.

“I am not sure, bearing in mind how big Brexit is, that we can have a general election and argue on NHS, policing, schools, the environment with Brexit not being resolved and our position being so unclear; it’s bad politics and the wrong place for us to be,” he said.

In a wide-ranging interview six months before Khan comes up for re-election as mayor, he said his decision to speak out was not related to any worries about his own prospects, arguing that he had always been clearly pro-remain. Instead, he claimed he felt obliged to warn the national party against making a huge mistake.

His intervention comes at a time when Corbyn is under increasing pressure from senior shadow cabinet members to agree to a second referendum before an election, with many of them arguing it is crucial to first get Brexit sorted. The party is trailing in the polls, with the Lib Dems appearing to attract pro-remain voters with their position in favour of revoking Brexit, while Labour continues to refuse to say which way it would campaign in a second referendum.

The mayor launched a fresh broadside at Labour’s Brexit policy just three weeks after the party’s autumn conference, at which delegates backed Corbyn’s policy of fighting an election promising to negotiate a Labour-backed Brexit deal then putting that to a public vote.

Khan said this position “does not make sense” as the party risked losing leave-backing voters to the Tories and Brexit party anyway, while seeing many remain voters go to the Lib Dems. But he also said it was wrong for Labour to be swayed by the argument that some of its heartlands are pro-Brexit, saying the party should take a lead in the same way it has tackled racism in society, championed the NHS and fought for women’s rights.

“Can you imagine in the early 20th century Keir Hardie being told this women’s right to vote stuff is a bit tricksy on the doorstep in Doncaster and Wigan and I’m not sure we should be doing this,” he said. “My dad came to this country in the 1960s, and there were signs saying no blacks, no Irish, no dogs … Can you imagine if Labour leaders say: ‘In Wolverhampton there’s this poster that says: ‘If you want an N for a neighbour, vote Labour’, I’m not sure it’s electorally advantageous for us to run it past the Race Relations Act. Let’s not do it.’”

Asked whether a second referendum should come before a general election, Khan said: “Absolutely. Let’s resolve the issue of Brexit, give the British public a final say. Leave the EU on terms negotiated by the government or the option of remaining. Once that’s been resolved, have a general election as soon as possible and we’ve got such an exciting policy offer when it comes to the NHS, policing, schools, a Green New Deal.”

Khan’s position mirrors that of Tom Watson, the Labour deputy leader, and Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, also revealed on Thursday she had concerns about an election before Brexit was settled. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, are also understood to have raised concerns this week that stumbling into a quick general election could be a “trap” for Labour.

However, Corbyn has so far repeatedly made clear that he will vote for an election as soon as no-deal Brexit is off the table.

Khan said he was not necessarily worried about Labour trailing in the polls right now as they “go up and down” and the party gained ground during the campaign in 2017. But he said he was concerned about the scale of movement to the Lib Dems over Brexit at the European elections.

He dismissed Corbyn’s argument that the party should decide how to campaign only after Labour has negotiated its own Brexit deal, saying: “There is no Brexit that is better than remaining in the EU.”

Khan, who is up for re-election in May next year, said he had told Corbyn many times his own position and he believed there was further scope for the party to shift on its Brexit policy.

As well as the Tory candidate Shaun Bailey and the Lib Dem Siobhan Benita, Khan is facing the independent candidacy of the former Tory MP Rory Stewart. But he said he was also not concerned about the newcomer to the race, who has made a name for himself doing a series of walks throughout the country talking to voters.

“I walk all the time. What I don’t do is walk around London with an iPhone filming my walk,” he said. “And what I don’t do is treat Londoners like natives. We aren’t natives. We are people who enjoy walking around our city, whether it’s drinking in pubs, eating in cafes, eating in restaurants without being filmed. We don’t think there’s anything unique about that.”

He said he looked forward to debating with Stewart if he was still a candidate in six months’ time.

On climate emergency protesters Extinction Rebellion, who are halfway through their promised two-week period of action in central London, he said he feared they risked losing public sympathy .

“As somebody who is sympathetic to the cause, you’re in danger of losing public opinion. There is a tipping point where your actions can lead to people rather than being sympathetic to having animosity towards you. That’s why it’s a real dilemma. That’s why the way to win over public opinion and keep it is protest lawfully and peacefully.”

Asked if Extinction Rebellion had reached that tipping point, he said: “I’m not sure of the answer ... but as somebody sympathetic to the issue I do worry about public opinion not being won over but being lost.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×