Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Tom Watson, and Angela Eagle campaigning for Remain in June 2016. Frank Augstein/Press Association. All rights reserved.
How the Labour party aligns on the issue of free movement could have huge consequence for the direction of future Brexit negotiations. Following the British High Court decision on 3 November, it looks likely that parliament will enjoy a greater role than envisaged by the government in establishing the negotiating terms for Brexit. If Labour were to unambiguously support the status quo on free movement it could – along with willing partners – form a coalition to avert the current direction of travel towards a so-called hard Brexit (as many of its MPs would like to do). More important for the purposes of this intervention, it would ensure the maintenance of the status quo on free movement itself. From a progressive position, this should not be regarded simply as the price to be paid for single market access – as it is currently portrayed even by many pro-Europeans – but as one of the major achievements of European integration that should be preserved for its own sake.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the referendum campaign in June 2016 we saw a number of pro-Remain Labour heavyweights such as Tom Watson and Yvette Cooper suggest a need to reform free movement. In the aftermath many pro-European Labour MPs, including Rachel Reeve, Stephen Kinnock, Emma Reynolds, Keir Starmer and Chuka Umunna – individuals who we would expect to be most determined to preserve single market access for the UK in any Brexit deal – have followed suit, apparently prioritising restrictions on free movement and suggesting that to not do so would be to “hold the voters in contempt”.
