Labour’s Caroline Flint breaks ranks to say she will back Theresa May’s Brexit deal
The former Europe Minister has also urged colleagues to follow her decision to back the PM's 'Chequers' plan
LABOUR'S Caroline Flint yesterday broke ranks to declare she WOULD back Theresa May’s Brexit deal – and urged colleagues to follow suit.
Risking outrage from ‘Corbynistas’, the former Europe Minister said she didn’t view the decision as a vote of confidence in the Tory Government, but a choice about whether or not Britain crashes out of the EU with No Deal.
The PM’s ‘Chequers’ plan would see Britain tied to the EU single market for goods and strike a new customs arrangement to minimise border checks.
Ms Flint told Sky News: “I think if a deal like that comes back it cannot be called a hard Brexit.
“And I would have to very much weigh up what my decision is and, to be honest, if it’s a reasonable deal that meets all those requirements that I’ve put forward to support a deal then I think I would.”
She added: “The question I think for some of my Labour colleagues is why wouldn’t you support a deal? Why would you stand along Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees Mogg who wants us to crash out without a deal and that’s the choice behind us.”
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Ms Flint is the first outside a handful or arch Labour Brexiteers to publicly claim she would be prepared to defy Jeremy Corbyn on the issue.
The Labour leader has hinted he would vote against any deal Theresa May brings into the Commons in the hope of triggering a General Election.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry yesterday said Labour would only back an agreement that met the party’s “six tests” – such as ensuring a strong future relationship, a deal that delivers for all regions and delivering “the exact same benefits” as current membership of the single market.
Ms Thornberry said: “If it does then fine, we will vote for it, but if it doesn’t meet our tests we will not.”