Labour must use its Euro-elections manifesto to pledge a public vote on whatever Brexit deal is agreed by parliament, 89 MPs and MEPs have demanded.
The group, which includes shadow ministers and Labour’s leader in Europe, Richard Corbett, has written to the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), ahead of a crunch meeting to decide Labour’s election strategy on Tuesday.
It comes amid growing frustration among the party’s pro-EU rank and file that the leadership will block any campaign for a second vote.
HuffPost UK understands trade union figures met today and jointly agreed to press Jeremy Corbyn to include the words “confirmatory vote” in the manifesto for the June 23 poll.
But while the leadership was ready to agree the phrase would be in Corbyn’s foreword, it would be banned from the main body of the manifesto, sources have said.
Unite, arguably the labour movement’s most influential union, was not at the meeting.
A draft leaflet for the Euro-elections, passed to HuffPost UK on Thursday, suggested the party had decided on a pro-Brexit stance, trumpeting a “better deal with Europe” and making no mention of a second referendum.
Party staff were told on Friday that the leaflet would be rewritten.
The 75 MPs and 14 MEPs, campaigning with the ‘Love Socialism Hate Brexit’ group, say the Euro-elections could become a two-horse race between Nigel Farage Brexit Party, which is absorbing pro-Leave Tory support, and Labour, if the party takes a pro-EU stance.
Their letter reads: “Our members need to feel supported on doorsteps by a clear manifesto that marks us out as the only viable alternative to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
“We need a message of hope and solidarity, and we need to campaign for it without caveats. To motivate our supporters, and to do the right thing by our members and our policy, a clear commitment to a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal must be part of our European election manifesto.”
Meanwhile, Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said he regrets the pro-remain parties have been unable to form a coalition.
A leaked memo from Change UK, the new party formed from The Independent Group of MPs led by Heidi Allen, revealed on Friday there would be “no mergers, pacts or alliances”.
Cable said: “I’ve got a couple of regrets about this referendum and the first is that we’re not standing on a common platform with other Remain parties to stop Brexit.
“It’s true that the Brexit parties are also divided, but we should be standing together - the millions of people in this country who voted Remain would expect us to stand together.
“It has not happened, it was not reciprocated, so we’re going our own way, but it’s a pity.”
An analysis for the FT suggested a Remain alliance would win 16 seats, but fighting separate campaigns the Lib Dems would win seven and Change UK none.
Shadow treasury minister Clive Lewis and shadow business minister Chi Onwurah are among the names on the letter to the NEC.
The letter in full
Dear NEC,
We wrote to Jeremy Corbyn in early April with the support of 84 Labour MPs regarding our negotiating position with Theresa May. Now, as MPs campaigning for a Labour victory in the European elections, we are writing to the whole of the NEC.
This year’s European elections will not be any ordinary European elections. The world is watching, and Labour must be ready to rise to the challenge. We must run a dynamic, energetic campaign around a radical manifesto to transform Europe and a clear position on Brexit.
With the Tories in chaos and the pro-Brexit parties split, Labour has a clear opportunity to win these elections. Because of Labour’s radical politics, we are by far the biggest socialist party in Europe. A strong Labour performance will make the difference between getting a socialist European Commission President and a right wing one.
This isn’t just about winning the momentum in UK politics. The future of our continent is at stake, along with the fight against climate change, and the rights and lives of millions of migrants and workers.
These elections are about the kind of Europe we want to live in, and we can’t make a convincing case in them without being clear about Brexit. Labour has already, rightly, backed a confirmatory public vote. The overwhelming majority of our members and voters support this, and it is the democratically established policy of the party. Our members need to feel supported on doorsteps by a clear manifesto that marks us out as the only viable alternative to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
We need a message of hope and solidarity, and we need to campaign for it without caveats. To motivate our supporters, and to do the right thing by our members and our policy, a clear commitment to a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal must be part of our European election manifesto. We understand the many different pressures and views within our movement, but without this clear commitment, we fear that our electoral coalition could fall apart.
We look forward to delivering an unprecedented European election campaign with you on the doorstep.
1. Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
2. Alex Sobel MP
3. Marsha de Cordova MP
4. Kate Osamor MP
5. Clive Lewis MP
6. Janet Daby MP
7. Anneliese Dodds MP
8. Rosie Duffield MP
9. Ged Killen MP
10. Rachael Maskell MP
11. Chi Onwurah MP
12. Luke Pollard MP
13. Matt Rodda MP
14. Paul Sweeney MP
15. Debbie Abrahams MP
16. Rushanara Ali MP
17. Rosena Allin-Khan MP
18. Tonia Antoniazzi MP
19. Hilary Benn MP
20. Roberta Blackman-Woods MP
21. Ben Bradshaw MP
22. Paul Brannen MEP
23. Chris Bryant MP
24. Karen Buck MP
25. Ruth Cadbury MP
26. Richard Corbett MEP
27. Neil Coyle MP
28. Mary Creagh MP
29. Stella Creasy MP
30. Seb Dance MEP
31. Geraint Davies MP
32. Steve Doughty MP
33. Angela Eagle MP
34. Maria Eagle MP
35. Julie Elliott MP
36. Louise Ellman MP
37. James Frith MP
38. Kate Green MP
39. Lilian Greenwood MP
40. Theresa Griffin MEP
41. John Grogan MP
42. David Hanson MP
43. Helen Hayes MP
44. Meg Hillier MP
45. Margaret Hodge MP
46. Mark Honeyball MEP
47. John Howarth MEP
48. Rupa Huq MP
49. Susan Elan Jones MP
50. Darren Jones MP
51. Ruth Jones MP
52. Liz Kendall MP
53. Wajid Khan MEP
54. Jude Kirton Darling MEP
55. Peter Kyle MP
56. David Lammy MP
57. David Martin MEP
58. Christian Matheson MP
59. Kerry McCarthy MP
60. Alison McGovern MP
61. Catherine McKinnell MP
62. Anna McMorrin MP
63. Claire Moody MEP
64. Madeleine Moon MP
65. Claude Moraes MEP
66. Ian Murray MP
67. Bridget Philipson MP
68. Jess Phillips MP
69. Ellie Reeves MP
70. Rachel Reeves MP
71. Virendra Sharma MP
72. Sion Simon MEP
73. Andy Slaughter MP
74. Owen Smith MP
75. Jo Stevens MP
76. Wes Streeting MP
77. Gareth Thomas MP
78. Stephen Timms MP
79. Anna Turley MP
80. Derek Vaughan MEP
81. Thelma Walker MP
82. Julie Ward MEP
83. Catherine West MP
84. Matt Western MP
85. Martin Whitfield MP
86. Paul Williams MP
87. Phil Wilson MP
88. Daniel Zeichner MP
89. Sarah Jones MP