Jeremy Corbyn was today facing a fresh challenge from his party over his stance on Brexit in the wake of chaotic scenes at the Lewisham East selection over the weekend.
Miriam Mirwitch, chair of the 100,000-strong Young Labour organisation, demanded that the party back a second Brexit referendum and for members to vote on the issue at its autumn conference.
In a letter to Mr Corbyn, penned jointly with the chair of Labour Students, she told the Labour leader that members deserve “to have our voices heard by our own party”, saying that three-quarters of members believe in having a vote on the Government’s Brexit deal.
Mr Corbyn is not backing a second referendum and has been accused of moving Labour towards a hard Brexit.
On Saturday, Mr Corbyn’s preferred candidate in the Lewisham East by-election, Left-winger Claudia Webbe, was beaten by local councillor Janet Daby, deputy mayor of Lewisham. Ms Daby vowed to fight against a hard Brexit and remain in the single market, putting her at odds with Mr Corbyn.
The selection process had descended into chaos earlier on Saturday morning when it emerged that Labour officials were considering banning Momentum-backed candidate Sakina Sheikh from standing.
Labour’s national ruling body chair Jennie Formby and committee member Jim Kennedy investigated last-minute claims that the 28-year-old had campaigned against Labour with the Take Back The City organisation in the 2017 election.
Members met at 9.30am to vote, but at around 10.30am they learnt that Ms Sheikh was going to be allowed to stand.
Ms Daby took 288 votes, Ms Sheikh 135 and Ms Webbe 35.
A by-election to succeed Heidi Alexander, who has quit to work at City Hall, is due to be held on June 14.
Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, Barry Gardiner, was accused of a “car crash” interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show yesterday when he repeatedly refused to acknowledge whether Ms Daby had broken with party policy.
Meanwhile, Young Labour’s committee members contradicted Ms Mirwitch with their own statement. They said young members do not want a second referendum and do not want to discuss it at the party conference in September. @KateProctorES
