Jeremy Corbyn compared to Stalin for sacking frontbencher Owen Smith over call for second Brexit vote

LABOUR was plunged into a brutal Brexit civil war tonight as Jeremy Corbyn was compared to STALIN for sacking a frontbencher demanding a second EU referendum.

Owen Smith, the Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, was booted out without a word of thanks for his service in a party statement.

This morning Mr Smith broke ranks with the party and said a public vote on the Brexit deal was the way “Labour can properly serve our democracy and the interests of the people”.

He said: “I’m pleased my party is backing continued customs union membership, but we need to go further. We need to do more than just back a soft Brexit or guarantee a soft border in Ireland.”

Labour said he had been “asked to stand down”.

Within minutes Mr Smith – who challenged Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership in 2016 – tweeted: “Just been sacked by Jeremy Corbyn for my long held views on the damage Brexit will do to the Good Friday Agreement and the economy of the entire UK.

“Those views are shared by Labour members and supporters and I will continue to speak up for them and in the interest of our country.”

Mr Smith - the MP for Pontypridd last week spoke out about the Labour leader’s refusal to blame the Kremlin for the Salisbury spy attack.

Furious MPs and peers rallied to his defence. Former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain stormed: “This is a terrible Stalinist purge.

“Owen Smith has been doing a terrific job on Northern Ireland.”

Backbencher Mike Gapes said: “Apparently in Corbyn’s world free speech is allowed for anti-Semites but not for Labour MPs supporting the views of our members.”

Ben Bradshaw said: “Why is Owen Smith being sacked for representing views of Labour members and votes on Tory Brexit shambles?”

“John McDonnell, Emily Thornberry and Shami Chakrabarti publicly contradicted Jeremy on the Salisbury Attack and are still in their jobs.”

Earlier Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer hinted Labour could change its policy on another Brexit vote by saying the party was “not calling for a referendum at this stage”.

But a new poll suggested Brits did not want to be asked again.

A BMG survey for Change Britain showed that 57 per cent agree that “the government should get on with implementing the result of the referendum to take Britain out of the EU and in doing so take back control of our borders, laws, money and trade”.

Meanwhile less than one in four voters disagreed and a third of Remain voters now want to hurry up and leave.

Labour last night appointed Tony Lloyd, the Rochdale MP and former Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner to the Northern Ireland role.

Mr Corbyn said: “Tony is a highly experienced former Government Minister who is committed to ensuring that peace in Northern Ireland is maintained and helping to steer the devolution deal back on track.”

Critics claimed the sacking was timed to deflect attention from Jeremy Corbyn’s bombshell confession that he had defended vile anti-Jewish artwork posted on Facebook.

Re-igniting the party’s long running antisemitism crisis, the Labour leader admitted questioning why graffiti showing Jews with big noses was to be destroyed in 2012.
The confession came just three hours before Owen Smith was shown the door.

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