Jeremy Corbyn should take the blame if Labour loses the European elections over its Brexit policy, an MP has suggested.
Ian Murray told HuffPost UK that Corbyn had “forced through” the party’s pro-Brexit manifesto for the May 23 poll and suggested the leader should shoulder the responsible if Labour’s vote plummets.
“This is his campaign, with his face and message on the leaflets delivered to every household – including in Scotland – and it’s his strategy to refuse to fight on an unequivocal platform of Remain,” the Edinburgh South’s said.
It comes as the leadership is facing a rising tide of frustration among the party’s pro-EU grassroots.
HuffPost UK understands left-wingers usually supportive of Corbyn are preparing to flood the party’s conference, in September, with motions demanding the leadership backs a pro-Remain stance.
Labour’s Euro-elections manifesto, which came after bitter battles played out between rival factions of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee, pledges to pursue a “Labour Brexit deal” and keep a second referendum as “an option”.
Polls are predicting that Labour will haemorrhage votes to rival pro-Remain parties such as the Lib Dems and Greens next week, while Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is expected to win, with the Tories refusing to publish a manifesto at all.
In Scotland, meanwhile, where people voted 62% remain, the SNP is expected to perform strongly.
Scottish Labour MPs have penned an ‘open letter to Scotland’ underlining the manifesto of the party’s European Parliament grouping, the Party of European Socialists.
In a clear swipe at the leadership, the group, which includes shadow Scotland minister Paul Sweeney, adds: “We believe that remaining in the EU is non-negotiable and we will help deliver that through a public confirmatory vote on any deal agreed by parliament, to give you a final say.”
Directing his anger at Corbyn, Murray said: “The Labour Party manifesto for this election is Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto that he forced through the party’s NEC.
“Labour should be heading for a landslide in this election with a coherent message, but the public only knows that Corbyn stands for constructive ambiguity and that pleases nobody.”
He is the second MP in recent days to suggest Corbyn should take the blame for Labour’s current woes.
Wes Streeting confronted the leader at a meeting of MPs in Westminster this week, telling him he should quit in the wake of the local elections.
“What is being heard on the doorstep across the country and what people are saying in the tea room, but won’t say to your face, is that you are a bigger issue for us than Brexit,” he is reported to have said.
One left-wing Labour source said it was unlikely his leadership was under threat, but added many from Corbyn’s base were angry about a potential Labour-Tory deal.
“I certainly think he has been ground down personally by all this and he’s lost his appeal to a lot of the original base,” they said. “If Corbyn did a deal with May, that would definitely end his leadership - he would be so damaged, he would have to announce a succession.”
Others believe Corbyn should take action on Brexit before conference rows break out.
“I think he needs to lead on Europe and take a clear, pro-Remain position or we’ll find ourselves in conference season and it’ll be forced on him,” one Labour frontbencher said.
Corbyn’s supporters say the manifesto is aimed at appealing to both sides of the Brexit divide.
A study carried out by Survation in the wake of the local elections earlier this month found that although Labour lost seats, Brexit had not been a significant factor.
When Corbyn launched the Euro-elections manifesto last week, he said: “Other parties appeal to just one side of the Brexit debate because they aren’t really committed to take on the tax dodgers, the big polluters or the financial gamblers who crashed our economy a decade ago.
“We insist the real divide in our country is not how people voted in the EU referendum. The real divide is between the many and the few.”