Conservative response to Keir Starmer’s Labour Conference speech

Responding, Dominic Raab MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, said:

“The Labour Party promised to voters in their manifesto to respect the referendum. But they are now tearing up that pledge, failing to deliver on the instruction of the British people. They would take us all back to square one.

“Their decision to vote down any deal in Parliament - no matter what the terms - is unprincipled and shows that the Labour Party is putting political calculation above the national interest.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact the Conservative Party Press Office on 020 7984 8121.

Notes to Editors

Labour’s 2017 manifesto said they accepted the referendum result.

• ·         The manifesto stated: ‘Labour accepts the referendum result’ (Labour Manifesto 2017, p.24, link).

• ·         Jeremy Corbyn said it was Labour’s policy to ‘respect the result of the referendum’. ‘It’s not our policy to have a second referendum, it’s our policy to respect the result of the referendum’ (The Guardian, 31 July 2018, link).

• ·         Corbyn said a second referendum would suggest Labour don’t respect democracy. ‘If we’re going to go into an election saying there was a referendum, we didn't like the result… I don't think that says, I don't think it says very much for our respect for democracy, and the decision that was taken’ (Glasgow Leadership Hustings, 25 August 2016, archived).

Ten times Keir Starmer said he would respect the referendum result:

1. 1.      ‘I do respect the result of referendum, what we’re now confronting is what do we do… given the state we’ve got ourselves’ (BBC Radio 5 Live, 25 September 2018, archived).

1. 2.      ‘Having asked the electorate for a view by way of the referendum, we have to respect the result’ (The Guardian, 24 March 2018, link).

1. 3.      ‘We’ve respected the referendum outcome we voted to trigger Article 50 to allow the prime minister to start the negotiations’ (The Andrew Marr Show, 25 February 2018, archived).

1. 4.      ‘We do have the right to vote which we don't have in countries across the world and we respect the results of votes when we put things to the vote and that is really important that we assert that and reassert that’ (Speech to the RUSI, 17 November 2017, archived).

1. 5.      ‘I would vote the way I did last time for the reasons I did last time but I would equally do what I did last time which is respect the outcome’ (Peston on Sunday, 15 October 2017, archived).

1. 6.      ‘So let me share with you Labour’s approach. An approach that is both democratically legitimate and economically sensible. That respects the referendum result and puts jobs and the economy first. An approach rooted in our core values’ (Speech to Labour conference, 25 September 2017, archived).

1. 7.      ‘Labour has said repeatedly we respect the result and things will have to change. We have to shape the future in a way that works for everybody’ (Wales Online, 4 April 2017, link).

1. 8.      ‘It is our duty to accept and respect the outcome of the referendum, but we remain a European country, with a shared history and shared values’ (Labour List, 1 February 2017, link).

1. 9.      ‘Labour has repeatedly made it clear that we accept and respect the outcome of the referendum… I have said that every time I have stood at this Dispatch Box. There is a mandate to leave’ (Hansard, 7 November 2016, link).

1. 10.  ‘We accept and respect the result of the referendum, but neither those who voted to remain nor those who voted to leave gave the Government a mandate to take an axe to our economy’ (Hansard, 10 October 2016, link).

Labour’s Brexit chaos continues at their party conference:

• ·         This morning, Keir Starmer refused to rule out delaying Brexit. Studio: ‘So if there were to be a public vote as you say, can you categorically rule out extending Article 50? Could you categorically tell us that the UK would leave the European Union on 29 March 2019?’ Keir Starmer: ‘Well the answer is it depends, because we don't know when we’re going to get a deal’ (Talk Radio, 25 September 2018).

• ·         Starmer failed to rule out continuing free movement under Labour. ‘If you want a close economic relationship with the EU then obviously that will involve a discussion about EU citizens’ (BBC Radio 4 Today, 25 September 2018).

• ·         Yesterday, John McDonnell said Labour’s second referendum would not offer an option to remain in the EU. ‘The issue now is that, if we are going to respect the last referendum, it will be about the deal, it will be a negotiation on the deal’ (The Independent, 24 September 2018,link).

• ·         Keir Starmer then slapped McDonnell down and said Labour aren’t ‘ruling out options’. ‘The question of a public vote should be open. We weren’t ruling out options and nobody was ruling out “Remain”’ (Huffington Post, 24 September 2018, link).