The UK Labour party has set out proposals to form a temporary government in early September that would request an extension to Article 50 in a bid to avoid a no-deal Brexit before calling a general election.
Rebecca Long-bailey, shadow business secretary, said on Thursday that the opposition would try to bring down Boris Johnson’s government within “days” of parliament returning from its summer recess on September 3. Labour would then seek to form a “timelimited temporary government” with the aim of calling an election.
In a letter to the leaders of other opposition parties and senior backbench MPS on Wednesday evening, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged his counterparts in the Liberal Democrats, Scottish Nationalists, Plaid Cymru and Green parties — along with Conservative MPS opposed to a no-deal departure — to support his attempt to bring down the Johnson government and delay Brexit.
“This government has no mandate for no deal, and the 2016 EU referendum provided no mandate for no deal,” he wrote.
Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, rejected the plan as being “not serious”.
Mr Corbyn’s announcement came as Sarah Wollaston, the former Conservative MP who defected to the Independent Group for Change, announced that she was joining the Lib Dems, taking the party’s presence in the House of Commons up to 14 MPS.
Dr Wollaston said she was joining the Lib Dems because they were “unequivocally making the case for us to remain at the heart of Europe, as well as campaigning for social justice, the environment and our public services”.
Mr Corbyn said that, if the government was toppled, in the ensuing general election Labour would stand on a platform of holding a second referendum on the terms of leaving the EU, including an option to remain in the bloc.
In response to the initiative, a Downing Street spokesperson said Mr Corbyn wanted to “overrule the referendum and wreck the economy”.
“This government believes the people are the masters and votes should be respected, Jeremy Corbyn believes that the people are the servants and politicians can cancel public votes they don’t like,” the spokesperson added.
The proposal is the first attempt by Mr Corbyn to forge a crossparty consensus on stopping a no-deal Brexit since Mr Johnson became prime minister. While the majority of Labour MPS will support the move, some opposition MPS remain reluctant to work with him.
Ms Swinson said: “This letter is just more red lines that are about him and his position and is not a serious attempt to find the right solution and build a consensus to stop a no-deal Brexit.”
Instead of Mr Corbyn, the Lib Dem leader suggested that Conservative grandee Ken Clarke or Labour’s Harriet Harman could lead a caretaker government, as longstanding members of the House of Commons.
Ms Swinson said that her first preference was for MPS to pass legislation to request a Brexit delay in order to hold a second referendum. But she admitted that Mr Johnson may ignore such a law and “we need to have the option of removing the prime minister”.
However, Ian Blackford, the SNP leader in Westminster, welcomed Mr Corbyn’s proposal and said the party would support any no- confidence motion aimed at bringing down Mr Johnson’s government.
