Labour frontbenchers warn of opposition to second referendum

More than a dozen Labour frontbenchers have been to see the chief whip, Nick Brown, to issue a warning about the scale of opposition to the idea of a second Brexit referendum.

The shadow housing minister, Melanie Onn, and the shadow justice minister, Gloria De Piero, both of whom represent constituencies that voted leave in 2016, were among a delegation who went to urge Brown not to whip Labour MPs to back a “people’s vote”.

The hastily arranged meeting was requested after Labour published an amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit motion, calling for a public vote to be among the options presented to MPs to allow parliament to decide on what should happen next.

Onn said: “It was a meeting for frontbenchers who would find it very difficult to vote for a people’s vote if it was whipped that way. We have been supportive of the party’s policy so far to keep us as a strong and united opposition. We have not been as free in our views as some other colleagues, whose views we absolutely respect, but we didn’t want that to be seen as the only set of views that exist.”

Some of those present at yesterday’s meeting are understood to have warned that they have not yet decided whether to back Labour’s amendment. Onn had already suggested publicly that she would resign rather than vote for a referendum.

A Labour source confirmed that the meeting had taken place but said it was not unusual for the chief whip to meet groups of MPs and that the atmosphere was collegiate. The meeting was so well attended more chairs had to be hurriedly brought in.

One MP present said the amendment had taken many of them by surprise.

Several MPs at the weekly meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday night, which was addressed by the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, spoke out against a second referendum, according to others present.

Sceptical voices included the Warley MP John Spellar, usually considered as on the right of the Labour party, and Chris Williamson, a loyal ally of Jeremy Corbyn’s.

Labour’s amendment calls on the government to allow parliament “to consider and vote on options to prevent the UK leaving the EU without a ratified withdrawal agreement and political declaration” – including Labour’s softer Brexit, and a “public vote”.

Campaigners for a referendum reacted with disappointment, claiming the amendment did not go far enough in signalling Labour’s support.

The Streatham MP Chuka Umunna said: “There is always a flurry of excitement when the frontbench acknowledges the obvious – that a people’s vote may be the only way forward (it is) – but that is not the position adopted by those running the show. Supporting ‘options’ is not a credible or sustainable policy.”

Wes Streeting, who represents the leave-voting constituency of Ilford North, told his constituents in a speech on Tuesday: “As an MP representing voters on the London-Essex border who opted to leave, I would rather tell it how it is and risk losing my job, than stay silent and risk my constituents losing theirs.”

Other Labour MPs fear a backlash from leave voters in their constituencies if they appear to be seeking to overturn the result of the 2016 referendum.

Campaigners for a people’s vote have not yet decided whether to table an amendment to the government’s Brexit motion next week that would test the strength of support for a referendum. The Conservative MP Phillip Lee told the Guardian discussions were ongoing.

Labour MPs present at a People’s Vote campaign event on Tuesday said they thought it was not yet the right moment to press the issue. The Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson said: “I want to make sure when we get to the point when we want to secure a referendum, it is a time when we have the greatest prospects of success.”

A campaign source said: “A people’s vote will probably not secure a majority in the House of Commons until every Brexit option has been exhausted but there will be multiple opportunities in parliament to give the public the final say when it has become clear this is the only way forward.”

They fear that unless Labour whips its MPs to support a secnd referendum , the proposition will fail to win majority support in the Commons and the government will then be able to claim it has been rejected.