TSSA becomes first Labour affiliated union to back People's Vote

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association has become the first trade union affiliated to the Labour Party to back a People’s Vote on Brexit.

Union delegates at their conference in Leicester voted overwhelmingly in favour of a fresh referendum on the final Brexit deal.

The union also voted to support remaining a member of the EU should Theresa May’s Brexit deal be rejected by the electorate and committed itself to campaigning for 16- and 17-year-olds to be given the vote in a new referendum.

SSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: ‘Our members have voted overwhelmingly for the voice of our members across the transport and travel industries to be injected into the national debate on Brexit.

‘It’s now very clear TSSA members don’t trust the Tories to deliver a Brexit deal that works for ordinary people. And now the worrying consequences of Brexit in Tory hands are becoming clearer by the day, they want their voice heard through a referendum which will act as a much-needed safety valve to the process.

“Returning final consent on Brexit to the British people, who are now properly informed and deserve to get to sign off on the future direction of their lives and that of our entire country, is now a TSSA imperative.’

Eloise Todd, CEO of the anti-Brexit campaign Best for Britain, said: “It’s fantastic that the TSSA union has joined calls for a people’s vote on the terms of Brexit between the government’s deal and the EU membership deal we currently have. “An important part of democracy is informed choice – and now the government’s deal is finally starting to take shape people across the country will be able to see which deal leaves them better off. That’s why we called last Friday for Brexit to be resolved one way or another by the end of next March – is it the government deal or our EU terms? It’s simple: may the best deal win. “It’s time to give the final say to the citizens of the UK.”