RESPECT THE RESULT
Labour in Brexit chaos again as top Jeremy Corbyn ally says second referendum would be ‘disaster’
LABOUR is in Brexit chaos again today after an ally of Jeremy Corbyn said it would a "disaster" to hold a second referendum - and the party said it won't actually back one in the Commons.
Angela Rayner, who has said repeatedly that she doesn't want a second vote, thinks it would be a terrible idea to go back to the people yet again.
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That's despite it being official Labour party policy to back another vote.
The party is split into two over whether to fight for a second vote and keep their Remainer supporters on side, or to embrace Brexit to keep voters in Northern Leave areas happy.
Ms Rayner said on ITV's Peston last night on another vote: "I think that would be disastrous for us as Members of Parliament to go back to the people with it, because we would have failed in trying to find a consensus.
"I want to find a consensus across the House, to respect the result."
The party policy claims only if it's the only way forward to stop a No Deal Brexit will they push for a referendum.
Today the party's shambles over leaving the EU deepened after officials decided it WON'T formally back a second referendum when it comes to the Commons later on.
MPs will today, vote for the first time on whether to have another divisive Brexit poll - after an amendment from The Independent Group got selected at lunchtime.
Pro-EU campaigners were delighted, with MP Anna Soubry saying it was "crunch time for Jeremy Corbyn".
But this afternoon Labour has decided that it will whip its MPs to abstain - not voting one way or the other at all despite it being party policy to keep it an opion.
The Labour boss is said to not favour another poll, but would have faced a huge backlash from his MPs and voters whichever way the party went.
And a People's Vote spokesperson said today: "We do not think today is the right time to test the will of the House on the case for a new public vote.
"Instead, this is the time for Parliament to declare it wants an extension of Article 50 so that, after two-and-a-half years of vexed negotiations, our political leaders can finally decide on what Brexit means."
Theresa May has said it's not Government policy to have another divisive vote and we must respect the result of the first one, so she's likely to push her MPs to vote against it.
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Meanwhile, Brexiteers were furious today with Speaker Bercow for not picking an amendment which wanted to rule out another referendum completely.
But he did pick one which would would support another vote - sparking accusations of bias from Leave-backing MPs.
Bernard Jenkin took a thinly veiled swipe at him in the Commons, saying: "What are we to conclude from your own views on these matters?"
The crunch votes on a second referendum and extending Article 50 will take place around 5pm this evening.
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