Rebecca Long-Bailey says 'people are so sick of Brexit it's making them ill' as she touts Labour's plans

Jacob Jarvis24 September 2019
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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has suggested people are so sick of Brexit that it is making them ill.

Ms Long-Bailey, speaking the day after her party’s conference voted against backing Remain, defended Labour’s neutral stance as she backed a second referendum.

The party has insisted that, if it won a general election, it would hold a second referendum, asking voters to decide between a new deal it secured and Remain.

“What we want is for people to have the final say,” she told the BBC this morning.

“After all the drama that’s happened in Westminster, I think people are sick of what’s happening. It’s making people ill. It’s putting people on edge.”

Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the Labour conference in Brighton on Monday
Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

She said that moving forward in such a way could allow politics to move forward on to addressing “issues that are important to people”.

“Industry and business have no certainty and their tearing their hair out too,” she said.

Rebecca Long-Bailey in Brighton on Tuesday
BBC

“We want to draw a line under this so we can focus on the issues that are important to people, climate change, jobs, living standards, our NHS.”

Ms Long-Bailey refused to be drawn on what way she would sway in a referendum - stating her stance would be dependent on the content of the fresh Labour deal.

In rowdy scenes in Brighton yesterday Labour delegates voted against a motion pushing it to explicitly back Remain.

The result caused controversy after being judged on a show of hands, with those on the losing side pushing for it to go to a card vote.

Debate chairwoman Wendy Nichols refused to do so despite angry requests and chanting, stating the decision had been made.

Ms Long-Bailey defended this and said she was “a very capable chair”.

She also defended Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, calling him a “capable pragmatist” and stating he would be able to push for a new agreement with EU leaders despite outlining he would wish to push for Remain.

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