Face of Nation : A senior Welsh Labour minister says a conference decision to stay neutral while negotiating a new Brexit deal is a “mistake for the future of the country”. Vaughan Gething reacted after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s policy was supported by party members on Monday.
Delegates voted down a motion for the party to back Remain in a future referendum. One Labour AM feared the party has lost the next election. But Mick Antoniw said Remainers would only get a further referendum on staying in the EU if they vote for Labour.
On Monday Labour members in Brighton endorsed Mr Corbyn’s stance to stay neutral while negotiating a new deal. It would then hold a referendum within six months, and the party would decide which side to back ahead of that at a special conference.
It is at odds with Welsh Labour’s position, which is in favour of campaigning for remain at a further referendum. At the weekend Welsh Brexit minister Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government would not back any Brexit deal negotiated by Jeremy Corbyn if he were prime minister.
A Welsh Labour spokesman said: “As Mark Drakeford told Labour conference yesterday, Welsh Labour supports putting the final say on Brexit to a public vote and we will campaign for the UK to remain a full partner in the European Union.”
In a tweet Mr Gething said the conference decision “is in my view a mistake for UK labour and worse still a mistake for the future of the country”.
“The prospects for the UK Labour government I believe people across the UK need just got much bleaker. Welsh Labour is still committed to remain in all cases.”
The pro-Remain health minister was joined in criticising the vote by Alun Davies, Blaeanu Gwent AM, who said: “I suspect that in the last hour UK Labour has lost the next general election.”
The votes at conference were held through a show of hands, amid demands from the floor of the venue for a card vote. But there was confusion as the votes were called, as the chair of the proceedings faced calls for a recount.
Owen Smith, Labour MP for Pontypridd, called it “shameful” and a “stitch-up” without a proper vote. “A disastrous decision taken at conference today – for our party and our country,” he said. Mr Antoniw, who represents Welsh Labour on the party’s ruling body, said he would prefer a position nearer the Welsh party.
