JEREMY Corbyn has been accused of “betraying the workers of the UK” after he told Labour Lords not to back an amendment to keep Britain in the European Economic Area (EEA).
The party’s peers have been told to abstain on a vote tonight to alter the Tory EU Withdrawal Bill.
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Labour veteran George Foulkes has said he will rebel against his leader’s call. It is thought up to 40 other Labour peers will also disobey Corbyn and back the change.
Foulkes, a supporter of the Scottish Labour for the Single Market group, said: “I am not prepared to support a pro-Brexit policy that betrays the workers of the UK.
“It would be a dereliction of duty to abstain on this vital issue and I will be joining with many Labour colleagues in supporting the policy agreed at our UK conference and sending the leadership a message that we must urgently do what’s right for the UK and prevent a Tory hard Brexit.
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“We know there is a majority to keep Britain in the single market when this issue returns to the Commons, provided Labour stands up to Theresa May and her Brexiteer allies.
“We need a united front to prevent a hard Brexit, and Scottish Labour has a key role to play in persuading the UK party to change course urgently. If we fail to do so, voters will never forgive us.”
Over the weekend, Labour peers accused Corbyn of “cowardice” for not backing the EEA plan.
They said it would achieve a soft Brexit that would allow the UK to remain involved in the EU’s internal market, and provide a solution to the Irish border problem.
Lord Waheed Alli, who has put his name to the amendment, said: “This is complete cowardice.
“There is no point in being in politics to abstain. If you stand in the middle of the road someone is going to knock you over.”
Last week, the Lords inflicted 10 defeats on the Government, but those changes only stick if MPs vote to accept them.
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