Yahoo News Labour frontbencher ridiculed by Question Time audience after claiming party's Brexit policy 'consistent from the beginning'
A Labour frontbencher was ridiculed by the Question Time audience after claiming her party’s Brexit policy had been “consistent from the beginning”.
Anneliese Dodds, a shadow treasury minister, prompted laughter as she made the claim during a clash with Anna Soubry, the leading Tory Remain MP.
Ms Dodds responded to the laughter by challenging audience members to identify any of Labour’s inconsistencies and “shout it out”.
Ms Dodd’s claim comes in the same month that a shadow Brexit minister said Labour could back the “Norway model”, Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman said that model was “not appropriate” and dozens of Labour peers rebelled against the party whip in a bid to keep the UK in the single market.
Meanwhile, earlier this month Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, said Labour “want to remain in the customs union” in comments which contradicted official party policy to strike a customs union with Brussels.
Labour has faced almost constant criticism over the lack of clarity surrounding its Brexit policy ever since the EU referendum vote in June 2016.
But Ms Dodds rejected the accusation that Labour was divided on Brexit after Ms Soubry made the claim on Thursday evening.
She said: “Sorry Anna, with respect, where is the evidence for that? Labour has been consistent from the beginning.”
Members of the audience then started laughing, prompting Ms Dodds to continue: “We have been. We have been.
“Ok, if anyone in the audience wants to let me know how you think we have been inconsistent please shout it out because from the very beginning we said we were going to judge…”
Ms Soubry then interjected and said: “Customs union.”
Ms Dodds continued: “... whatever the Government came up with against six tests and they were the tests the Government itself set out.
“For example, Theresa May and others said they would have the same exact benefits outside the EU as what we currently have as part of the single market in the EU.
“So what we are saying is, right, you have got to prove it because we believe in government being accountable.
“If you promise something you have got to deliver it. That is what Labour said all along that we are going to hold them to those tests.”
Labour has suffered internal divisions over Brexit for months and May has been no different.
Paul Blomfield, a shadow Brexit minister, suggested Labour could still back the “Norway model” for the UK as he said the party was “ruling nothing off the table”.
His comments came after Mr Corbyn’s spokesman appeared to rule out membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) and said the model was “not appropriate” for Britain.
Meanwhile, the House of Lords successfully amended the Government's flagship Brexit legislation in a bid to secure membership of the EEA which would see the UK outside the EU but inside the single market.
The defeat was made possible by dozens of Labour peers who rebelled, having been told to abstain.
Labour’s Brexit policy was plunged into chaos in April after Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, described the party’s six Brexit tests as “b------s".
It was also thrown into difficulty in March after Mr Corbyn sacked Owen Smith, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, because he said Labour should consider abandoning Brexit.
In January some 48 Labour MPs rebelled against Mr Corbyn to back a bid to keep Britain in the single market and customs union and in December last year Mr Corbyn failed to rule out a second EU referendum.
Earlier, in November 2017, Mr Corbyn was undermined by 19 Labour MPs who voted to block Brexit by opposing the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972.
And in September 2017, Tom Watson, the Labour deputy leader, said remaining part of the single market and customs union “might be a permanent outcome” of Brexit negotiations.
Labour’s current Brexit policy is for the UK to be in a customs union with the EU and to secure a deal which retains the benefits of the single market.
