Express & Star

Express & Star comment: Turmoil is true intent of Labour

It would be easy to label Theresa May's first Commons defeat as a disaster.

Published
Jeremy Corbyn

Her Government's narrow loss on Wednesday night courtesy of 11 Tory rebels certainly is embarrassing and undermines the Prime Minister's authority.

However, in the long run this result will mean very little.

MPs will be faced with a vote on whether to accept Mrs May's deal with the EU or veto it once the negotiations are complete.

What that means is that Labour MPs like Wolverhampton's Pat McFadden and Eleanor Smith will have a choice – accept the terms on the table or leave us with a blank page.

The latter is the very thing that Mr McFadden has been arguing must not happen at all costs. He and others have likened such a scenario to falling off the proverbial cliff edge.

The vast majority of his Brexit voting constituents will ponder why he and all those who backed Dominic Grieve's amendment have put themselves in that position?

Surely any vote to veto the Brexit deal will simply send us 'crashing out' of the EU like they have warned?

It would. And when it comes to the vote it is to be expected that none of them dare to torpedo two years worth of agreement with our European neighbours.

And here's the important point.

Labour and the rebels have not thought ahead to the consequences of this so-called 'meaningful' parliamentary vote they have been craving.

The only thing Labour is interested in is disrupting the Prime Minister and causing havoc for the Government.

Wednesday was a prime example of cheap political opportunism.

The Tory rebels – all bitter ex-ministers or sour Remoaners – have only succeeded in further diminishing their own leader and handing Jeremy Corbyn an undeserved boost.

As for Mr Corbyn, the man is a disgrace.

Does anybody in Britain know where Labour stands? They campaigned during the General Election on leaving the single market and the customs union but now appear to be against it.

They voted to trigger Article 50 but then complain about the Government being unprepared.

And on the eve of an important meeting between Mrs May and the EU Commission, they pull the rug from under Britain's feet.

Ordinary decent people of all political persuasions and both camps of the referendum argument will be left asking, whose side Mr Corbyn and his Labour Party are really on?