Deb Gardiner, former Chair of Isle of Wight Constituency Labour Party, shares this news, not on behalf of the IW Labour Party, but as an individual member. Ed
Isle of Wight Labour Party is calling on the national leadership to ballot its half a million members on their views on Brexit and Britain’s ongoing relations with the European Union.
The Island Labour All Members Meeting overwhelmingly supported a motion from the Sandown and Shanklin Branch, which set out the economic impact of Brexit, emphasising the Bank of England statement that UK households are already £900 a year worse off since the EU referendum.
Unable to implement manifesto policies post-Brexit
There was also real concern that, given that all of the Government’s post–Brexit scenarios indicate that Brexit will cause a significant fall in GDP, with rising prices, job losses and a reduction in tax revenues, a Labour Government would be unable to implement manifesto policies.
The motion also claimed the current position of the national party merely facilitated a hard Brexit which was against the wishes of the majority of party members.
Why the ballot is important
Gary Clarke, who proposed the motion, said,
“Labour prides itself on being a member-led Party so giving those members a meaningful say on such a fundemantal issue is key to this. This is why as a matter of urgency, the Labour Party should ballot its existing members to establish the wishes of the majority of Party members regarding future relations with the European Union.
“This ballot should include the option of withdrawing Article 50 and remaining a member of the European Union.”
The Full motion approved reads:
According to the Bank of England, UK households are already £900 a year worse off since the EU referendum. All of three of the Governments post Brexit economic scenarios currently indicate that Brexit will cause a significant fall in the GDP of the UK in addition to rising prices and job losses. This fall in GDP will reduce the taxation revenue of governments and the economic instability will cause an increase in the cost of government borrowing.
These two factors will severely limit the ability of a future Labour Government to implement its noble policy proposals. At present, the stance of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Brexit appears to contradict the stance held by the majority of Party members on Brexit.
The present strategy of the PLP is merely facilitating the hard Brexit and bonfire of employment, consumer and human rights sought by the far right of the Conservative Party. As a matter of urgency, the Labour Party should ballot existing members (e.g. members as of 1/6/18) to establish the wishes of the majority of Party members regarding relations with the European Union. This ballot should include the option of withdrawing article 50 and remaining a member of the European Union.
