Angry Labour MPs lash out at Jeremy Corbyn ally for saying party ‘trying to bail out’ the Tories over Brexit

Furious Labour MPs have lashed out at Barry Gardiner after the Jeremy Corbyn ally said the party was “trying to bail out” the Tories to rescue Brexit.

The shadow business secretary was branded “appalling” as he was told that facilitating Brexit would be “a mistake of catastrophic proportions”.

Owen Smith, a former leadership contender, told The Independent: “When a Labour shadow cabinet member thinks his job is to ‘bail out’ the Tories you know something is going seriously awry in Labour.”

And Anna Turley, a northeast MP, said: “Appalling. Barry should be ashamed. The Labour Party should play no part in bailing out this shameful Tory party and their botched Brexit deal which will damage the country and make people poorer.”

The backlash came after Mr Gardiner denied a Conservative accusation that Labour was blocking Brexit, made on the BBC by Brexit minister James Cleverly.

“You, as a Brexit minister, should understand that we are in there trying to bail you guys out,” Mr Gardiner told him on local elections night.

“We are now trying to negotiate with you because your prime minister, who’s lost control of her party, who’s lost any chance of getting her deal through parliament, has had to come to us.”

Mr Gardiner said Labour was trying to strike “a compromise that will work for most people in this country and will get through our parliament”.

“Don’t tell us we are not trying to deliver Brexit,” he told Mr Cleverly angrily. “That was our manifesto commitment and we are trying to do it.”

The comments will heighten the fears of pro-referendum Labour MPs that Mr Corbyn is poised to strike a Brexit deal with the prime minister as early as next week.

Downing Street admitted Ms May was ready to agree to a form of customs union (Labour’s central demand), although she is unlikely to ever accept the term.

The government is expected to consent to the UK sticking with EU tariffs on goods, allowing it to still seek independent trade deals on services, at the end of the transition period.

But Labour is still pushing for a full customs union – and Mr Corbyn would face an enormous revolt from Labour MPs if he signs up to a deal without a commitment to a Final Say referendum.

Bridget Phillipson, another Labour northeast MP, criticised Mr Gardiner, saying: “It’s not our job to ‘bail out’ the Tories.

“Delivering a Brexit that will damage the lives of working people across our country would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions. Any deal must go to the people for their Final Say.”

And Mr Smith added: “If Barry wants proof he merely needs to look to last night’s results, where our reward for bailing the Tories out on Brexit was to share the losses with them – to Lib Dems, Greens and others who are clear that they oppose Brexit.”