#021 An EU Strategy For The Labour Party
A Five Point Plan
Theresa May has all but failed negotiating a deal with the European Union that the U.K. parliament will support, outlined below is a strategic plan for the Labour Party leadership and members of parliament, to pursue,
1) Vote down Theresa May’s deal in the second ‘Meaningful Vote’ on Tuesday 12th March 2019
UPDATE (12/03/2019):
Theresa May’s exit deal defeated again, in the second meaningful vote, by 149 votes.
2) Vote against ‘No Deal’ on Wednesday 13th March 2019
UPDATE (13/03/2019):
Government defeated in an amended vote which represents parliament rejecting the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal (a withdrawal agreement and framework for the future relationship).
3) Vote to extend Article 50, based on May’s failures generally, with her deal and no deal now having been rejected in parliament, and on the basis of holding a general election — fulfilling the Labour Party’s democratically agreed 2018 composite motion.
UPDATE (14/03/2019):
Parliament has agreed to ask the European Union for an extension, of some form, to Article 50 HOWEVER rather than doing so to hold a General Election, Theresa May has decided to bring her rejected deal back for a third ‘meaningful vote’ next week, which she hopes will pass, and lead to a short extension, ending on the 30th June 2019…
UPDATE 2 (18/03/2019):
The Speaker John Bercow has ruled out a third (or fourth) ‘meaningful vote’, in line with parliamentary rules, on the basis that a defeated motion can not be brought back in the same form, during the course of a parliamentary session and a new vote would need to be substantially different to the second ‘meaningful vote’.
UPDATE 3 (29/03/2019):
Today Theresa May got past the speaker’s ruling by effectively splitting the withdrawal agreement and political declaration up and put the withdrawal agreement on its own (along with the 22nd May article 50 deadline extension that the EU agreed) to a parliamentary vote…..Again she was defeated (effectively for a third time).
As it stands the date the U.K. will leave the EU (without a deal) is now 12th April (extended from today - 29th March 2019).
UPDATE 4 (11/04/2019):
The European Union has allowed the United Kingdom to have a second (flexible) extension to the 31st October 2019, meaning a no deal exit is theoretically off the table, assuming a deal can be reached in the next six months.
UPDATE 5 (April/May 2019):
The government and the official opposition have entered talks to find a compromise E.U. exit that can get through the United Kingdom’s parliament.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/may-corbyn-brexit-deal
This in my view is a big mistake as the official opposition should be pushing for an election, with article 50 extended, rather than collaborating with a PM who has decisively failed three times in parliament, or changing their position markedly to a referendum.
UPDATE 6 (May 2019):
Theresa May is bringing back her deal, through the form of a E.U. Withdrawal Agreement Bill, to the commons in early June, whether a cross party compromise is agreed with the Labour Party or not, the current Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said the deal would be “dead” if MPs did not pass it this time (effectively attempt number four)
UPDATE 7 (May/June 2019):
Theresa May offers a “ten point, bold offer” on her Withdrawal Agreement Bill to members of all parties in the house of commons, however it has been rejected by MPs from across the political spectrum to the extent that three days later, she has been forced to name her official resignation date - 7th June 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=_t25xAp270o
UPDATE 8 (May/June 2019):
A General Election, should be the first priority of the Labour Party now for two reasons, firstly this would allow the party to agree and make clear its policy on the EU question and present it in its manifesto for the public to vote for as part of a bigger, transformative programme for government. Secondly as Theresa May is officially resigning as conservative party leader on the 7th June 2019, it is even more democratically necessary for a new leader to have a democratic mandate from the country as a whole.
UPDATE 9 (July 2019):
The Labour Party have now moved their position (tweet below), following the European election results in Late May, given the likelihood of a Boris Johnson premiership, and after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP consulted widely across the Labour Party.
4) Vote for, plan, effectively campaign & win the general election, assuming it happens before, or instead of, a referendum, on a manifesto stating the Labour Party will try to negotiate their own (br)exit deal - accepting/respecting the 2016 democratic advice (as pledged in the 2017 manifesto).
Then pledge to put the agreed future deal with the E.U., to a future referendum, new deal vs remain.
Update (December 2019):
The Labour Party lost the general election decisively in terms of parliamentary seats, whilst offering this position on E.U. exit in their manifesto, meaning Boris Johnson’s deal will likely go through parliament, we will leave the EU at the end of January 2020, we will enter the transition period until the end of December 2020 and then leave with or without a trade deal with the E.U. by January 2021.
5) Make sure to get the best possible deal with the European Union then allow MPs to campaign freely on both sides in the future referendum, which could then can be a genuine democratic exercise fulfilling the 2018 Labour Party composite motion policy.
If remain wins the referendum, reversing the 2016 referendum result will have happened via a proper democratic process, and if Labour’s new leave deal wins, the 2016 referendum result will have been honoured in the most constructive way possible. Either way a no-deal exit will have been averted.
