MPs Push to Resurrect Zombie May’s Soft-Brexit Treaty with Vote on Second Referendum

‘MPs for a Deal’ have said they will attempt to bring back a version of Theresa May’s Brexit deal by Halloween, including a vote on whether to hold a second referendum.

The cross-party group launched their campaign on Tuesday, and is calling for a fourth vote on Theresa May’s deal in the last two weeks of October, and an estimated 50 Labour MPs are believed to back it, reports The Times.

The group includes Labour’s Stephen Kinnock, former Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart, and Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb.

The deal was voted down three times already in the House of Commons, but this fourth iteration would include concessions to Labour such as on customs arrangements closely aligned to the EU, environmental protections, and workers’ rights.

One former Tory source speaking to The Guardian said the proposal would “certainly have to be linked to a referendum” whereby the group would try to include within the Bill a vote on the Commons on whether to have a second referendum, or so-called public ‘confirmatory vote’ on the deal which would likely include an option to Remain.

“There is an element of seeing what the next step is from No 10. A lot would be pretty hesitant about backing a referendum until all other options have been tried. But, more attractive, is a way of bringing a deal back on to the table – a version of what was agreed between May and Corbyn. And then have a confirmatory vote attached to it, or someone amends one on,” another former Tory told the newspaper.