Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has ignited a fresh row within the party by calling for a second EU referendum before a general election. In a speech at Somerset House in London, Watson argued that the 2016 vote is no longer valid due to changed circumstances, and that a single-issue election would not resolve the Brexit deadlock.
Watson stated: 'The only way to break the Brexit deadlock once and for all is a public vote in a referendum. A general election might well fail to solve this Brexit chaos.' He added that while he respected the 2016 result for a long time, the situation has changed so drastically that the old plebiscite is no longer a valid basis for such a momentous decision.
The Conservative Party condemned the proposal, with chairman James Cleverly accusing Labour of 'running scared' of an election. He warned that a second referendum would delay Brexit by up to a year and cost taxpayers £250 million a week in EU contributions. The plan would also leave Boris Johnson in office without a majority, creating a 'zombie government'.
Watson's intervention puts him on a collision course with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who favours a general election in late November followed by a referendum on a Labour-negotiated Brexit deal. Meanwhile, Labour's Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer told union leaders that an election must come before any second referendum, highlighting the deepening divide within the party over Europe.
