Labour ‘finished’ if it becomes an accomplice to Brexit

A new poll has found that the Labour Party needs to oppose Brexit to stand a chance of beating the Conservatives in a snap election.

A survey by YouGov of nearly 5,000 people has found that if a general election took place before Brexit just 19% would vote Labour if it didn't take a stance against the UK leaving the European Union.

Instead it would lose votes to the Liberal Democrats. The poll puts the centrist party on 17% - almost neck and neck with Labour – with the Conservatives 9 points ahead on 29%.

This would change significantly if Labour officially opposed Brexit. It would get 26% of the vote, four percentage points behind the Conservatives, and 16% ahead of the Lib Dems.

The poll was commissioned by Best For Britain and Hope Not Hate.

'These figures show that Labour would make real gains in the country from a clear anti-Brexit position,' said Eloise Todd from the Best For Britain group.

'With Labour voters and national public opinion shifting against Brexit, it's time for the opposition to give people what they want: a clear choice on Brexit between leaving and staying and reforming the EU, not a fudged deal that works for Westminster elites and no one else'.

Labour peer Andrew Adonis said: 'If Labour becomes an accomplice to Brexit, it is finished.

'If people want Brexit, they will vote for the party that really believes in it, not the one that is being led to support it against its most profound convictions and misgivings'.