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Labour MEPs target Gib voters with promise of people’s vote on Brexit

CM meets Clare Moody and060519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) and Andrew Adonis with Manuel Cortes from Unite UK

Labour party MEP candidates for the South West and Gibraltar have told Gibraltarian voters that Labour is the only party that can deliver on remaining in the European Union as they set out their commitment to a people’s vote in Gibraltar yesterday.

Current South West and Gibraltar MEP Clare Moody and Lord Andrew Adonis are first and second, respectively, on the party’s list for the European parliamentary elections. Both candidates were in Gibraltar yesterday as part of the election campaign process.

Labour has been widely criticised for failing to clarify whether or not it is decisively in favour of a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal.

But although the party has yet to publish its EU election manifesto, Lord Adonis insisted yesterday that Labour is firmly committed to a referendum on the Brexit deal with an option to remain.

He told the Chronicle: “We give a clear commitment in our manifesto that any deal coming from this government will be subject to a public vote which is a referendum.”

“In the real world situation that we face at the moment, I believe the only deal that’s going to be on offer in terms of Brexit comes from Theresa May and the Government, and we are firmly committed to there being a referendum on such a deal with an option to remain.”

Ms Moody, a long-time friend of the Rock, stressed the importance of Gibraltarian voters participating in these elections.

CM meets Clare Moody and060519  { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) and Andrew Adonis with Manuel Cortes from Unite UK

CM meets Clare Moody and060519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) and Andrew Adonis with Manuel Cortes from Unite UK

Following a meeting with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, she told the Chronicle: “These elections really, really matter and they matter for two reasons.”

“They matter because we need to get that referendum and therefore we need a strong vote for Labour because the alternatives right now in the UK, the way this vote is shaping up, is you’ve got the Brexit party and you’ve got the Labour party as the two leading parties.”

“And we need to ensure that the Labour party is the one that wins that election.”

Additionally, Ms Moody underscored that the UK and Gibraltar have not left the European Union and said: “It’s not clear that we’re going to leave the EU so Gibraltar needs a strong voice in one of the largest groups in the European Union and that’s what the Labour party represents.”

Lord Adonis said: “The only party that can deliver Remain is the Labour party because only with Labour’s support will there be a majority for a referendum in the House of Commons and without Labour’s support there won’t be a majority amongst the public for remain either.”

“Labour has 250 MPs in the House of Commons and we have already voted twice for a referendum. We will continue to do so.”

“It’s vital that we send the strongest possible signal of support behind Labour in these European elections because only Labour can stop Farage and deliver a second referendum,” he said.

There are six seats being contested in the region with elections set to take place on May 23 unless Prime Minister Theresa May secures backing for her controversial withdrawal agreement, a prospect that seem unlikely.

At the last EU elections in 2014, Labour polled third best in Gibraltar behind the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

Pics by Johnny Bugeja

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