Labour MP says Brexit should be reversed without referendum

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 06:57 · Archive

Dame Emily Thornberry says Britain should rejoin the EU without a second referendum, proposing the policy be included in Labour's election manifesto instead.

Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has said Britain should rejoin the European Union without a second referendum. She proposes that Labour include the commitment in its next general election manifesto, expected in 2029, allowing voters to make a choice at that point rather than in a dedicated vote.

Thornberry told Sky News: 'Why shouldn't we talk about it when the majority of people agree with me that Brexit was a disaster, and we ought to get back into the European Union.' She stressed that rebuilding ties with the EU was not a 'sacred cow'. When pressed on how this could be justified without another referendum, she said: 'I don't think we need to have another referendum, but what we can do is have it in the manifesto, and then people can have a choice.'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said all options are on the table, including rejoining the Customs Union, the Single Market or fully rejoining the European bloc. He previously said Brexit had 'done more harm than good' and told Parliament that failing to seek a better arrangement with the EU would be a 'major dereliction of duty'. An EU-UK summit is scheduled for next month in Brussels.

How it is being reported

• Fury as Emily Thornberry says Brexit 'not a sacred cow' - ‘get over it!’The MP has proposed that Labour should include joining the EU as a commitment in its next General Election manifesto, rather than having a second public vote.Daily Express · 14 Oct, 06:38
• Scrap Brexit without a second referendum, says senior London Labour MP Emily Thornberry‘I don't think we need to have another referendum, but what we can do is have it in the manifesto, and then people can have a choice,’ says Dame EmilyEvening Standard · 13 Oct, 14:30

In this story: Emily Thornberry · Andy Burnham · Labour · European Union · Islington South and Finsbury

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