Leave campaigners accuse Labour of not representing its eurosceptic supporters
Labour's MPs overwhelmingly back Remain but some of its voters want to leave the EU
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Your support makes all the difference.Leave campaigners within Labour have accused its MPs of failing to properly represent its eurosceptic supporters and members.
Former Labour business minister Nigel Griffiths, who is campaigning for Brexit as part of Labour GO, said 92 of the party’s MPs should by rights be backing a Leave vote.
Polls suggest around 40 per cent of Labour voters are backing a Leave vote, but the party’s 232 MP parliamentary caucus is overwhelmingly in favour of EU membership.
“Millions of Labour voters believe that Brussels has betrayed our steel workers and manufacturing and our farming and fishing communities - taking £10 billion net every year. Our money is being spent on the infrastructure and citizens in other countries instead of here,” Mr Griffiths said.
“Many Labour voters are appalled that our NHS, schools and roads are short of money because we give Brussels £10 billion. They want their Labour representatives on their side on this, one of the most important issues of our time.
“And Labour voters fear the consequences of the new EU/USA trade treaty TTIP, being negotiated in secret, which threatens to allow private contractors in the NHS and railways to block attempts to return their services to the public sector.”
“Anyone who thinks the EU is protecting workers' rights is living in the past - Brussels has forced zero hours contracts on Greece. Ireland was forced by the EU to abandon free collective bargaining, as savage wage cuts were imposed as a condition of their bail-out. The Viking Line judgement threatens hard-won rights of UK trade unions.”
Other than some outspoken voices such as Kate Hoey, Frank Field, and Gisela Stuart, few Labour MPs have been publicly campaigning for Brexit.
But Harriet Harman, former interim leader of the party, today said Labour had in fact appeared too equivocal in its support for Remain.
“Labour strongly believes that it’s in Britain’s national interest to remain in the European Union,” she said at a joint press conference with David Cameron, Tim Farron and Natalie Bennett.
“I want people who back Labour and Labour values to know why Labour backs us being in the EU.
“It’s not surprising that Labour supporters have struggled to catch a glimpse of why Labour backs the EU as the media has been dominated by the row in the Tory party.”
Mr Corbyn, who has previously criticised the EU but is backing a Remain vote, skipped that rally.
He last week dismissed warnings that Brexit would cause a “DIY recession” but said there were other reasons to remain in the bloc, such as wanting to safeguard workers’ rights.
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