Friday, February 03, 2017

Gateshead Labour Leader backs Lib Dem policy

A key Lib Dem Brexit demand is that the people should have their say in a referendum on the deal for leaving the EU. Yesterday, in the debate on our motion to Gateshead Council, calling on the borough's MPs to oppose the current Brexit bill until guarantees are given on membership of the Single Market, Labour Leader Cllr Martin Gannon called for such a referendum. Well done Martin. Amidst all the noise of the Corbynite revolution within the Labour Party, Martin does tend to be a voice of reason (though there are exceptions to that - for example, his call to reject our motion yesterday). Martin does, however, need to be reminded that a destination referendum is not Labour, but is Labour, policy. Well done Martin.

Meanwhile, discipline in the Gateshead Labour group may be breaking down. As well as Labour councillors disappearing from the council chamber during the Brexit debate, resulting in Labour being 20 short of their total. It was only last night at the Blaydon Lib Dem meeting that we realised a Labour councillor had voted with us on our motion. The vote was 34 against our motion, 9 for. But we had only 8 members in the chamber when the vote was taken.

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