Labour Cabinet Secretary: Party’s stance on Brexit ‘utter BS’

The Welsh Government’s Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, has described his own party’s position on Brexit as “utter BS”.

It follows an internal battle at the top of the Labour party over whether they will campaign to stay in the EU in any circumstances in a future General Election.

Yesterday trade unions endorsed leader Jeremy Corbyn’s position, which is that the party would not commit to Leave or Remain going into a General Election.

Labour’s manifesto will, however, promise to reach a better Brexit deal, but not then to campaign for accepting that deal.

Senior members of the Westminster shadow cabinet, such as Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, John McDonnell and Tom Watson, had wanted Labour to adopt an unambiguous remain position.

Last night, Vaughan Gething took to Twitter to say that the ambiguous position would hurt the party going into an expected General Election in October or November.

“We can’t ask people to vote to renegotiate then might ask the public to vote that down,” he tweeted.

“We will deserve all the ridicule we get if this is the manifesto. Utter BS.”

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies said: “I agree with Vaughan Gething. This is neither a credible nor a defensible position.”

Senior Labour figures had been arguing that backing Remain would recover ground lost to the pro-EU parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats in recent elections.

Pro-Remain Labour activists also hope to use the party’s conference later this month to force the leadership into backing Remain under all circumstances.

“We’re ready for that election,” Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday. “We’re ready to unleash the biggest people-powered campaign we’ve ever seen.

“And in that election, we will commit to a public vote with a credible option to leave and the option to remain.”