British people, would you be more likely to vote Labour if it supported a second referendum on Brexit?

As a Labour member and supporter of the leadership, I've generally supported the line they have taken as a compromise position. They've tried to gain acceptance by Labour leavers by honouring the referendum and also tried to gain acceptance by remainers by offering a softer version of Brexit than the Tories.

This strategy worked in the 2017 General Election when we polled well, without quite winning the election. Times have changed though and both leavers and remainers have hardened their positions. Most leavers see nothing short of a no-deal Brexit as a betrayal of what they voted for, even though the leave campaign talked about negotiating a deal and even sometimes mentioned the Norway option. Most remain voters I know who are not Labour Party members see anything less than a second referendum as a betrayal by the Labour Party. I find this attitude frustrating - even as a remain voter myself - because if Labour is going to go against an existing referendum result and a third of its voters, it can't do so lightly. The Labour voting coalition is traditionally a diverse coalition which includes (for example) northern working-class people and liberal metropolitan young professionals.

This is what it is though and much as I'd like to talk about Jeremy Corbyn's social democratic policies, its Brexit which is on most people's minds. Judging by canvassing, its possible Labour will finish third in the European elections and underscore even their own poor polling (though the Tories will be fourth or fifth).

Please comment in as much detail as you like. I really can't be arsed dealing with people being rude though and please keep it relevant. I don't mind non-Brits joining this debate as long as you are not saying ridiculous things about globalist conspiracies or whatever.

Thanks

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room101 · 51-55, M

Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has never given a definitive "line" on Brexit and, they have made no effort to compromise. Corbyn himself is only interested in ousting the Tories and becoming PM. That's it and all about it. Everything that he has demanded is; already in place since January 2017, potentially contrary to EU rules and treaties, would give us membership to certain facets of the EU without any voice on the determination of the rules which govern those facets and, not on offer by the EU.

We had a referendum. Completely in keeping with what a referendum is meant to be, we were given a binary choice of stay in the EU or leave. The ballot did not ask us if we wanted to leave under X, Y or Z deals.

People say that we are now better informed. How are we better informed? We are still getting all manner of contradictory arguments. Why did we not take it upon ourselves to be properly informed when we voted? When we vote in a general election, we hear the promises made by the politicians vying to be MP's representing our constituency. It's incumbent on all of us to be informed about those politicians. What happens if we vote for someone who turns out to be a liar? Do we demand a re-run of the general election? Of course not!

Our side (ie those of us who wanted to stay in the EU) lost. A second referendum will never change that simple truth. It will only betray the democratic process that millions have fought and died to defend.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@room101 OK, so what is your solution?

For a long time, I've supported a compromise option and so has the Labour leadership. However, the chances of getting a compromise Brexit through Parliament are slim and will be even slimmer after the Tory leadership contest. Maybe you even see this yourself, in that the country is polarising and certainly get that impression from reading polls and canvassing people. As I said at the top, most leavers now see anything other than a no-deal as a sell-out and most remainers won't vote for any party which they see as 'enabling Brexit'. I think the EU election results will also support that idea. Labour and the Tories (in different ways) have tried to compromise and will get very poor results.

A compromise Brexit deal won't put the country together and I don't think anything can put the country together. I wish we could have an election in which Brexit wasn't the issue. 2017 was like that and was a straight ideological fight where you could support the Labour manifesto and this was popular with people. That can't happen again though because Brexit is the biggest issue on the minds of most voters and because the public is polarised on an increasingly binary issue.

room101 · 51-55, M

@Burnley123 I agree that the 2017 election was an ideological battle but do not agree that the Labour Party has sought any kind of compromise. I've seen no evidence of such an effort. As to future elections being fought on ideological grounds, it depends very much on when a general election is held.

My solution seems to be lost to all of us. It was to support the withdrawal agreement. That's gone with Theresa May. My only hope now is that the next PM has some sense.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@room101 [quote]My only hope now is that the next PM has some sense.[/quote]

It's likely to be Boris Johnson.

Labour has tried to compromise and supported the withdrawal agreement, rather than taking a hard remain position and that is why 2017 was an ideological battle rather than being about Brexit. Their position has been criticised both both leavers and remainers. The problem is that there is only a thin centre ground of public opinion willing to compromise. It includes myself but I am in a minority, hence why I support a change in Labour policy.

room101 · 51-55, M

@Burnley123 I'm sorry mate but, as previously stated, I have seen no evidence of Labour trying to compromise. All I've seen is a concerted effort to undermine Theresa May and political brinkmanship. You've stated yourself (not just in this debate) that Labour has as many issues re Brexit as do the Tories. Unless, of course, if by compromise you mean placating both Remainers and Leavers.

I'm a bit ambivalent about Boris Johnson. My heart tells me to hate his stance. My head reads the words he uses and attempts to understand their meaning and intent.

[i]Mr Johnson told an economic conference in Switzerland on Friday that a new leader would have "the opportunity to do things differently".

"We will leave the EU on 31 October, deal or no deal. The way to get a good deal is to prepare for a no deal." [/i]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48403705

That last sentence makes a lot of sense to me.