Labour MPs set to rebel against Sir Keir Starmer's decision to vote for Brexit trade deal

A series of Labour MPs are set to revolt against Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to whip the party in support of Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal, The Telegraph has learnt.

The Labour leader announced on Christmas Eve that his party will “accept and vote for” the Government’s agreement with the EU, but acknowledged it was a “difficult and tough decision”.

Denouncing it as a “thin deal” that will fail to protect British manufacturing, financial services, creative industries and workplace rights, he argued that a no deal outcome would be worse, wreaking “devastating” consequences on the economy and society.

“We are at a fork in the road, there are days left, and the choice is either this deal or no deal, and this deal is in the national interest,” he said.

In a briefing for the Parliamentary Labour Party hosted by Rachel Reeves, shadow Cabinet Office Minister, a series of Labour MPs warned that they could not endorse the deal.

Rupa Huq, Kevin Brennan, Neil Coyle, Geraint Davies and Clive Efford were among those who criticised the deal and signalled their refusal to vote for it, according to sources present on the call. It is unclear whether the dissenters would abstain or vote against it.

One Labour MP who said they could not endorse it told The Telegraph: “It was claimed that we were all needed to ensure the deal passes, but we know that this is not going to be a ‘meaningful’ vote [which relies on Labour support]. It's a straw man argument and I found it patronising to have it put up as a defence of the party’s position.”

Sir Keir has been laying the groundwork for weeks to get his party to back the expected trade deal, a strategic move partly aimed at regaining the support of voters in the pro-Leave “Red Wall” seats across the North and Midlands that flipped from Labour to Conservative at the general election last year.

He held a briefing with his shadow cabinet shortly before hosting his press conference. While some frontbenchers expressed disappointment at the choice between the Government’s deal and no deal, a source present said: “Nobody on the call indicated they would not vote for the whip.” A separate call was held with junior shadow ministers.

It will be a three-line Labour whip on the vote next Wednesday and frontbenchers will be required to follow it, it is understood.

In a press conference at 5pm, Sir Keir insisted a “better deal” could have been negotiated with the EU earlier on in the talks, but conceded that the option was no longer available and that Labour must engage with the agreement on the table.

There are “many areas where it doesn’t deliver on the promises the Government made”, he claimed, arguing that it was “very, very thin” in relation to services, which account for 80 per cent of the UK’s economy, and equivalence provisions.

The consequences of the pact “are yours and yours alone”, he told the Government, despite Labour offering its support in the Commons.

Taking another swipe at Mr Johnson, he also said questions remained about Whitehall’s  “preparedness for the new arrangements”, which entail regulatory barriers and more paperwork for businesses.

He said that “leaving everything to the last minute has made it even more difficult for businesses to be ready”, but said that industry would be feeling “huge” relief at the news of a deal.

Switching from attack mode to defence, the former Remainer sought to justify his decision to back the deal to Europhile figures in his party.

“There are some that argue Labour should be neutral on this issue and abstain. I do not agree. Leadership is about taking the tough decisions in the national interest,” he said.

“It is about being a serious, responsible opposition, a government-in-waiting.” Labour would inherit the deal if the party won the next election, he stressed, adding the public and the EU would expect him to make it work.

His denunciation of abstaining raised eyebrows after Labour abstained on key coronavirus legislation earlier this year, a move that elicited heavy criticism for “sitting on the fence”.

A Labour source insisted it was an incomparable situation in which the party had rejected the tiered system of rejections, but did not want all restrictions to collapse by voting down the legislation, which was opposed by Tory rebels.

In a clear attempt to move the debate beyond Brexit, which has split Labour, the party leader said on Thursday that the public were tired of the “endless negotiations and political squabbles” around the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Labour will instead focus on the economy, the NHS and rebuilding the nation after coronavirus, he vowed.

The confirmation that Labour will support the deal when it is laid before the House next Wednesday will come as a boost to Mr Johnson, although with an 80 seat Tory majority he was already expected to pass the Bill in the Commons next Wednesday with ease.

While senior Conservative Brexiteers have warned they will reconvene a “Star Chamber” of legal experts to review the details of the agreement, so far there has been little criticism of its broad terms from the backbenches.

The Lib Dems, boasting 11 MPs in the Commons, meanwhile signalled on Thursday that they would abstain on or vote against the agreement when it comes before Parliament next week.

Sir Ed Davey, the party leader, said on Twitter: “We will look at the deal’s details - but if this turns out to be a threadbare deal, it will be bad for our country. And Liberal Democrats cannot support a bad deal.”