Labour leadership contender says Britain should vote again on Brexit

Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has pledged to call a second referendum to ratify any Brexit deal that the United Kingdom strikes with the EU.

In an interview, he credited Mr Corbyn with making Labour an unequivocally anti-austerity party but said he was “not a leader who can lead us into an election and win for Labour”.

Mr Smith told the Guardian there should be a general election or referendum “when the terms are clear”. “The prime minister made clear we will do an autumn statement in the usual way in the autumn and we’ll look carefully over the summer at the situation”.

“But I think a lot of people I know are now saying to themselves, ‘It wasn’t the right decision.’ A lot of people are angry that they were quite clearly misled by the Brexit campaign”.

Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee said on Tuesday that Mr Corbyn would automatically go on to the ballot paper as the sitting leader.

However, it was unclear if such a vote would be binding on the loser to back out of the race to try and topple Mr Corbyn. They were additionally given contrarian advice.

“I thought at the time the tradition of the Labour Party and the tradition of left-wing engagement to remove dictators was a noble, valuable tradition and one that in south Wales, from the Spanish civil war onwards, we have recognised and played a part in”, he told the Western Mail. “For me it was an awakening, a moment when I saw what solidarity and community really meant and how politics can make – or break them”.

Angela Eagle, the other challenger to Mr Corbyn who triggered the contest on Monday, last night said she opposed taking the NEC decision to court.

Ms Eagle however indicated that she may be willing to run in a three-way battle against both Mr Smith and Mr Corbyn, telling a central London event: “I will leave Owen to do this own thing, I’ll do my own thing”. Smith, who only entered parliament in 2010 compared to Eagle’s arrival in 1992 and Corbyn’s in 1983, said: “I think we need the next generation of Labour men and women to step up and put our stamp on this party”.

The former shadow business secretary also lifted the lid on working in Mr Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, complaining of “parallel organisations”, “constant cancelled meetings” and a leader “pushing away” MPs.

“And then in the end on the doorstep, just not resonating with Labour voters, let alone wider voters”.