Letter: Lib Dems Are in No Position to Influence Brexit Decisions

Published on: 26 Sep, 2018
Updated on: 26 Sep, 2018

The Lib Dem “Brexitometer”

From Brian Creese

Spokesperson for Guildford Labour

In response to: Lib Dems Say Guildford Residents Are Unhappy With Brexit Negotiations

It is no surprise that Guildford’s shoppers were overwhelmingly aware that the Tory Government’s attempts to negotiate a Brexit settlement have been a shambles. However, a People’s Vote is not without its problems.

How many questions would a new poll include, and what will they be? Will the vote be about the agreement negotiated or will it take us back two years and re-run the referendum? If so, will that catapult us back to the bitter divisions that made the 2016 referendum one of the most divisive events in our lifetime?

The Lib Dems are in no position to influence these decisions, having marginal support in the country and no power in Westminster. Back in the real world, many Guildford Labour members are just returning from their party conference having witnessed how Labour seeks to find consensus rather than conflict and unity rather than division.

Labour seeks not to represent the 48% or the 52% but everyone. Labour has made it clear that they will reject any agreement that fails to meet their six tests and also rejects crashing out with no agreement.

If the government fails to win a parliamentary agreement then there should be a genuine People’s Vote – a general election – which will allow a new government to find a fresh way forward.

If Mrs May is determined to cling to what is left of her power then a public vote on the agreement should be held and it may be that the option of remaining needs to be put to the British people.

But these are the worst options that will arise if this Tory Government continues to fail the British people. The idea that simply holding a People’s Vote is going to solve the desperate mess we are in at the moment is simplistic nonsense.

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