LONDON — The Labour Party will this week either support or table an amendment which calls for a new referendum on Brexit, leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced.
In a move that will delight anti-Brexit Labour MPs and the the party's overwhelmingly pro-EU membership, Corbyn said he will "put forward or support an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit."
This means that for the first time, Labour will tell its MPs to support an amendment which calls for a new referendum.
The big move comes after a handful of MPs quit Labour last week, citing Corbyn's refusal to back a new referendum as one of the reasons for their dramatic departure.
Labour MP David Lammy, a leading supporter of the People's Vote campaign for a new referendum, said: "It is welcome news that the Labour Party is now, at long last, signalling it will accept the principle of giving the public the final say on Brexit.
"Even if MPs can agree some sort of deal, it would be wrong to force it on the British people when we now know so many of the promises made in 2016 have been broken and any deal will be worse than the one we’ve already got inside the EU."
He added: "These are dangerous times for the Labour Party and our country. Jeremy Corbyn is today taking the first step to reunite our party by showing he is listening to our voters and members on this, the biggest issue of our time
"But it is also crucial when food prices are already rising and car manufacturers are scrapping investment that we provide the clarity needed to plan for the future."
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