The chances of a no confidence vote in the government if the prime minister’s Brexit deal is rejected have been ramped up by Labour, with its leaders saying it is a case of ‘when, not if’.
However leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey could still offer no clarity on exactly when the party would call a no confidence motion in parliament, or what its policy on Brexit would be should a general election be called.
Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Long-Bailey said: ‘The odds of us tabling a no confidence motion increase dramatically’ if the vote on Theresa May’s deal in the House of Commons on Tuesday is unsuccessful as expected.
She said the final decision rests with party leader Jeremy Corbyn but added: ‘We’ve always said it’s a case of when, not if.
‘We’ll see what happens on Tuesday and take action at the appropriate time.’
Jeremy Corbyn: "We will table a motion of no-confidence in the government at a time of our choosing" but it's going to be soon#marr https://t.co/KllLk4kP9b pic.twitter.com/MfbFXF6zBn
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) January 13, 2019
Later on the BBC’S Andrew Marr Show, Corbyn said people would have to wait and see what Labour’s next steps would be following the vote on Tuesday – saying: ‘We will table a motion of no confidence at a time of our choosing.’
Asked what Labour’s policies would be should an election be called, neither Corbyn or Long-Bailey could still offer a clear answer on whether the party would be offering a second referendum or simply renegotiating the current Brexit deal.
Corbyn said the party has always pledged to respect the result of the referendum but would have a process to decide on what policies should be in its manifesto should an general election be called.
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