28/06/2016 Daily Politics

Hello and welcome to the Daily Politics.

Thousands gathered in Parliament Square last night

in defiant support for him - but today, Labour MPs are voting

in a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn.

A vanquished Prime Minister returns to Brussels to tell fellow EU

leaders that the British people have rejected the deal they offered

to stay in the Union - what kind of deal will they offer

And who will be the next Prime Minister?

The runners and riders line up in the Conservative

And with us for the whole of the programme today,

is the former Newsnight and Channel Four News journalist -

now prominent Jeremy Corbyn supporter - Paul Mason.

An extraordinary day in the Commons yesterday.

A Prime Minister who had just lost a referendum

and announced his resignation, faced a Labour leader whose

shadow cabinet were resigning en masse,

saying they had lost confidence in his leadership.

And it was the first day in the Chamber for the newly

elected MP for Tooting, Rosena Allin-Khan.

Let's have a look at some of those exchanges.

With over 33 million people from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern

Ireland and Gibraltar, all having their say, we should be proud of our

parliamentary democracy. But it is right when we consider questions of

this magnitude, we don't just leave it to politicians but leave it

directly to the people. That is why members voted for a referendum by a

margin of almost six to one. Let me welcome the new member for Tooting

to her place. I would advise her to keep her mobile phone on, she might

be in the shadow cabinet by the end of the day! Mr Speaker, the British

people voted to leave the European Union. It was not the result I

wanted nor the outcome I believe was the best for the country I love, but

there can be no doubt about the result. I don't take back what I

said about the risks. It will be difficult. There will be adjustments

within our economy. Complex constitutional issues and

challenging new negotiation to undertake with Europe. But I am

clear, and the Cabinet agreed, that the decision must be accepted and

the process of implementing the decision in the best possible way

must now begin. Mr Speaker, tomorrow I will attend the European Council.

In the past few days I have spoken to Chancellor Merkel, President

Hollande and a number of other European leaders. We discussed the

need to prepare for the negotiations and the fact the British government

will not be triggering Article 50 at this stage. Before we do that, we

need to determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU.

That is something for the next Prime Minister and the Cabinet to decide.

As political leaders we have a duty to calm our language and our tone,

especially after the shocking events of ten days ago. Our country is

divided. And the country will thank me that the benches in front of me

nor those behind for indulging in internal factional manoeuvring at

this time. Some of the exchanges

in the Commons yesterday there. Now, Labour MPs are taking part

in a vote of no confidence Let's talk to our

correspondent, Iain Watson, What is happening? The ballots

opened about an hour ago. MPs are voting around the corner from here

but in an area closed to the public and the press. It will be a secret

ballot. That probably makes it even more likely the result will be an

overwhelming vote of no-confidence in Jeremy Corbyn. We had a guide to

that last night with a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. I

just ran into a veteran Labour MP this morning. He said he had been an

MP for 40 years and he had never been at a worse PLP. Alan Johnson

smacked into Jeremy Corbyn, saying he had to take responsibility for

the referendum. Yvette Cooper said his heart and soul was not in it.

Everyone said, you are a nice guy but you are not a leader. There was

a row outside of the Parliamentary Labour Party were John Woodcock got

stuck into some of Jeremy Corbyn's aids and said Jeremy Corbyn posed an

existential threat to the Labour Party itself. That is the atmosphere

against which the ballot is taking place. Even if they do vote

overwhelmingly against Jeremy Corbyn, that will not be enough to

force him from office. There needs to be a formal leadership challenge.

50 at -- 50 Labour MPs will have to unite around a candidate. Jeremy

Corbyn's people thought it might be quite difficult. As one of them

said, they all agree what they are against, can they agree on what they

are for? The status of the no-confidence motion does not

trigger the leadership ballot, but do you doubt there is going to be

some kind of leadership challenge? Will Jeremy Corbyn be automatically

on that ballot paper? Tom Watson told him yesterday he thought a

leadership contest was inevitable. The question is, will Tom Watson,

Dan Jarvis or Angela Eagle unite behind one candidate? I think in the

end they will. Certainly if this photo is overwhelmingly against

Jeremy Corbyn today. Then a formal leadership ballot would be

triggered. That goes to the members. Jeremy Corbyn is hopeful that those

rank-and-file members who joined to support him last year have not

drifted away. But I have seen some correspondence sent from local party

members to shadow cabinet members, who did support Jeremy Corbyn, and

they want him to go as well. Willie automatically be in the ballot?

There is conflicting legal advice. He will have to seek the support of

MPs. That will be a big hurdle. It may end up in the courts.

Joining us is Labour MP Andy Slaughter, who has also resigned.

Welcome. You resigned last night after being a supporter of Jeremy

Corbyn. What changed? I think the political climate has changed

immeasurably since Brexit last week. There is no leadership of the

country. A lame duck Prime Minister and the empty vessel of Boris

Johnson waiting in the wings. Being -- the economy is in a terrible

state. I had a racist attack on a Polish resident of my constituency

over the weekend. The country is crying out for leadership. The

opposition is just as important. We need to move on and have a leader

that can unite the party in the country. Why do you think he cannot

run night -- unite the party where's you did a week ago? He did get

overwhelming support from members. I have been happy to support his front

bench team and give him support over that period of time. But I think

that what happened in the Brexit campaign, and I think the response

from my colleagues, we will see in the vote tonight, people talk about

membership. Membership is absolutely important. But I consulted my

membership before taking this decision. Overwhelmingly the people,

elected councillors, officers etc, said, we need a new leader. The

majority of the front bench have asked Jeremy Corbyn to go. 46 MPs

have quit. The party is tearing itself apart. Jeremy Corbyn is still

clinging on. Surely has to go? He's clinging on because he has the

support of the overwhelming majority of members. You did not even consult

your CLP. You consulted the committee of your CLP. Friends and

colleagues. To me, one thing I agree with, this is a massive moment for

the country, and the duty of MPs should be to represent the country

and not the party. They should have woken up on Friday morning and asked

themselves, how do I get rid of Jeremy Corbyn? -- shouldn't have.

The Labour Party needs to be communicating through its members

and unions with our people to calm things down and give messages of

solidarity to the Polish community in your constituency. To the black

people and Muslims who have been racially abused. I thought Jeremy's

speech was brilliant in the Commons. Were you one of the people who

sniggered? Were you one of the people who sniggered behind him?

What difference would that make? Did you shout resign? What Paul Mason is

saying... Those questions do not deserve an answer. I have been

supportive of Jeremy. I said nothing at all. I made my own contribution

in the statement. No, I disapprove of any behaviour of that kind, of

course. I have huge respect for Jeremy. He has been a friend of mine

for 30 years. I agree with him on many have not most policy issues. So

don't make silly accusations like that. I asked your questions. That's

my question. People do not believe Jeremy Corbyn can win the election.

The Labour MPs who have resigned do not believe he can win the general

election. Hang on. My question is, if they don't believe he can win a

general election and we are still in a parliamentary democracy, and a

party has to be led by someone who can actually come and have the

authority and support of their MPs, it is over? I think Jeremy can win

the election. This is the reason why. The Blairite wing, which is yet

to show its hand... Let me finish. The Blairite wing is coordinating

this. They are raising money right now for a candidate. They believe

that Jeremy can win. They moved on Friday morning in a long planned

move because they believe... They thought they had a couple of years

to get rid of him. Then -- they now don't. It is logical to move against

him. There will be people in the centre-right of the party would be

like the tethered goat 's. You need to think about what you are doing.

This is blood-letting in the Labour Party. This is what is going to

happen. John McDonnell claimed there were 10,000 people in Parliament

Square. I thought there were about 5000. John McDonnell was

exaggerating, basically? By the time I was there it looked bigger. What

do you say to those people who did elect Jeremy Corbyn? What do you say

to them that you have always drawn your support? I have said already

that Jeremy did get a majority vote last year and I did not vote for

him. But I was absolutely prepared to give him a fair wind in relation

to this. I think that is what I have done. In 30 years, I am very

uncomfortable doing this. I have never talked publicly about the

internal affairs of the Labour Party. But I think this is a time of

national crisis. The government is giving no leadership at all. Cameron

has walked away. We have to be responsible. We are a major national

political party, the voice for poorer people in this country. We

have to be giving leadership. That undermines your claim this is an --

a Blairite orchestrated campaign. Andy Slaughter is not of that wing.

Scores of MPs have withdrawn their support. There were claims that

night -- last night that a lot of the banners at the rally were

Socialist workers party banners. They were not Labour Party members.

I think they were in the few hundreds. I don't think all of them

were there. I made a pub full of Aslef train drivers. What people

have to remember is that the Labour movement has massive social capital

in this country. And Aslef train driver can bring ten, 15, 20 other

people from a working-class community. That same kind of person

can walk into a pub or club in one of these Ukip supporting places and

face up to racism and bigotry. Our movement is full of people who can

actually command the respect of and have a dialogue with the British

people at this point. There is no candidate. If there was a candidate

would that make it more viable? On the Labour leadership was there has

to be a candidate. Who is that candidate going to be to We will

find out after the ballot. There are a number of people in the PLP would

make a very good Prime Minister. I'm going to wait and see who the

runners and riders are. So anybody except Jeremy? It is not a case of

anybody but Jeremy Corbyn in terms of Andy Slaughter, because he

supported him. There is a sense of betrayal by Jeremy Corbyn in the

referendum campaign, that he was a reluctant Remainer, that perhaps he

did not even vote to remain. Do you accept that? People like Alan

Johnson have said very strongly... He ran the Labour campaign. He said

he did not have the support. Our ability to keep people was

sabotaged. The Remain and reform, I would have said revolt, against

Europe, that argument, I think, kept several percentage points of Labour

people from going over to the other side. We don't know how visceral and

the and this Leave thing was. It was not all that bunch of racists. It

was not all a bunch of Ukip members. Many of our own people did. We did

keep some people to vote Remain. Through gritted teeth. Do you think

that would be a sense of betrayal? Would those MPs be justified who

felt they lost the referendum because nobody knew the Labour

message? Does not about that. Alistair Darling stood up with

Osborne and threatened a punitive budget on Britain. Osborne resile

from it yesterday. How does Jeremy Corbyn feel, having said this was

the wrong thing to do? I think he is vindicated.

The joke's doing the rounds this morning that if we're looking

for a man to take us out of Europe, then former England manager

But do our political leaders have any idea what the UK's exit

This morning, in response to the result of last week's

referendum, the European Parliament is meeting for an emergency sitting

MEPs will vote on a non-binding motion, setting out the Parliament's

position on how things should proceed from here.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and council representatives

And it's expected the Parliament will urge the UK to invoke

Article 50 immediately, to avoid "damaging uncertainty".

That sets the clock ticking, giving the UK two years

Then later this evening, the European Council will hold

a regularly scheduled meeting of all 28 leaders -

no doubt, now to be dominated by the UK's decision to leave.

But tomorrow, David Cameron will find himself left out in the cold,

when the remaining leaders meet informally to discuss what to do

Speaking in the European Parliament this morning, the President

of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker,

urged the UK "clarify its position on Brexit as soon as possible".

He also has some stern words for Ukip MEPs, after he was

We must respect British democracy, and the way it has voiced its view.

That is the last time you are applauding here.

And to some extent, I am really surprised that you are here.

You were fighting for the exit, the British people voted

Well, earlier I spoke to the German Chrisitan Democrat

I asked what should happen now many 2 British negotiations.

If it is today or tomorrow, that is not the question,

but if it lasts very long, I think that a lot of member states

are fed up with this kind of cherry picking,

They want that the Government decides, they want the British

Government is deciding in the next days or weeks, but not trying

to delay the decision and to try negotiating in back rooms,

There aren't no better conditions, the conditions are clear,

and if Great Britain wants to leave, and we respect the referendum

here in the European Parliament, it is a democratic decision,

but the British Government has to decide about Article 50.

So there could be a situation where Great Britain in negotiations

could ask to have access to that single market,

despite what was said in the campaign, and unlike Norway

and Switzerland, avoid freedom of movement?

I am absolutely sure that there is no cherry picking possible.

So here in the Parliament, it was very, very clear

that the Parliament is fed up with this kind of cherry picking.

We would like to have the advantages but no disadvantages.

We would like to have the rights but no obligations.

We would like to have the money, but no payments.

So this is not possible, so if Great Britain wants to have

something of the European Union, then they have to give something.

So the normal rules in the European Union,

but to try always to have something special for Great Britain,

Great Britain is a member of European Union or leaves

the European Union, and if Great Britain wants something

of the European Union, then they have to give

And the Conservative MP and former Cabinet Minister, Owen Paterson,

who campaigned for Leave joins us now.

Welcome to the daily politics, no cherry picking you can't have your

cake and eat it. No special treatment, Britain or the Leave

campaign humiliated people from other member states during the

referendum campaign, you are not going to get the deal you want. Well

I think everybody has to understand that Leave means Leave. We have this

massive vote, the biggest majority anybody has had in British history

so 1.3 million have voted to Leave. That means we will leave the

political arrangements and we made it clear throughout, all the

referendum campaign, we want to have a new relationship based on trade

and co-ofration, they have our neighbours have a massive surplus

with us, that I have a huge interest in coming to a deal, we have had the

head of the German CBI says he doesn't want arrangements that

affect the German car industry, there are one million Germans...

There will be no special treatment. Do you now accept, now that Britain

has voted to leave and we had discussions before the actual poll

if wow want access to single market as part of the trade deal you want

to make, you will have to accept some form of freedom of movement?

No, I don't accept that. You don't? Everybody we have spoken to has said

you will not get that deal. You must have freedom of market. The CSU was

wrong when she talked about members of the EEA, there is art 1.1.2 which

allows members to restrict... They don't want to give it to you.

Liechtenstein they respected the fact they couldn't have an unlimited

influx and they got an arrangement. They are not going to do that for

Britain? Why not. We are the fifth economy in the world. We are a huge

player, they have to respect a massive vote by the British people.

We said there would be a British option. Right. Do you agree or is

Monica right? One of the reasons this little difficulty in the Labour

Party is so frustrating this is what British politicians should be

discussing right now. I think in order to calm the market, most

people don't realise what the danger is, we should be put fog bar ward,

any of the Tory candidates should be committed to a request. You are

right, that under the EEA, there is an emergency break procedure for...

The European economic area, of which Norway and Switzerland are a part,

because they are two of the country. It would signal we want to remain

part of the single parenting and we are prepared toing inniate on how we

apply free movement. That could be a cross-party position, it could calm

the market, I wish the Labour Party was in a position to discuss it. You

are though, you should do it. Are you in a position? Who is in charge?

Well the Prime Minister is in charge. He is resigning. He said he

won't do anything with the negotiations. You are right. The

there is cross-party agreement on this. I talked to a senior MP. Who

is in charge, answer my question, at the moment? The Prime Minister said

he is resigned. We will have a new Tory Prime Minister soon. There is

no-one in charge at the moment. Oliver Letwin is doing the

preparations. There won't be a White Paper. This is in flux. There is a

flux period. I talked to a senior Labour MP who was a strong supporter

of Leave. He had good ideas last night on immigration. Which I

thought was good, there are sensible people in the Labour Party working

on this. We know huge votes in Hartlepool, 71%, Birmingham, we know

and I had people covered in builders dust outside the polling stations

who are absolutely understand the need for managed immigration, but

they understand we cannot go on building one house every six

minutes. You wouldn't give up on managed migration to get a

favourable trade deal No. Dan Hannan said that he would, and he thinks

that is is what will happen I think he has been misinterpreted. He said

clearly, I am saying what he said. Zero immigration, it is not going to

happen. No-one has ever talked about zero immigration, that is childish.

Some people think it is going to start now and migrants are going

home. Talked about this when I was talking to farmer, I said we need to

have managed immigration for the skilled people who used to come in

to pick fruit and vegetables because they are skilled and good at it. We

need skilled eye surgeons to come in and proper managed immigration,

nobody has said we will stop it. Tens of thousands. Migrants play a

key role in the economy. OK, but let. Hang on, the point as everyone

has, is beginning to dawn on them, the success of the referendum we had

a civilised debate although some of the stupid incidents attacking Poles

are totally unacceptable. Is that not what has happened as a result.

Happening on. I want to finish the point. Finish the point The

projectionions are we will have a population by 71 million. That means

a new house every six minute, that is not realistic. Let us go on do

your point you raised the point of racist incidents when you accuse

Project Fear, Project Fear about the pound slumping about credit rating

agencies downgrading Britain, pension annuity rates are down.

Infrastructure projects are put on hold and there have been reports of

racist incidents, was that your plan? No, was it the BBC's plan to

overhype the hysteria on this? Hang on, hang on. I am asking you a

legitimate question about where we are now, I am asking you was that

your plan? It wasn't Project Fear, it has come true? Of course it

wasn't. You have moved into project hysteria, with we know major players

in the city took a huge punt on Remain and they got it wrong. Now we

are seeing the bank shares coming up, the FTSE come up, the pound come

up, and all this is being massive, it is irresponsible. One point we

should make to Jean-Claude Juncker, is while we are here, and until the

treaty is changed, nothing has changed in law, we are full

participant, all the rules of, all the treaties remain intact. Owen

said we are in a state of flux. Not economy economically. At the moment

few you look a the indicator, is it project hysteria or is it coming

true? The The short-term hit on Friday was short-term. There more

people think we are going to join the EA, the long-term issue is this,

serious economists are saying we will lose the capacity to grow. One

part of our capacity to grow was to import people from east Europe. That

is part of George Osborne's growth plan, beyond that, if car company,

finance companies move, that debt will be member youred against a

smaller economy, and then we are in quite big trouble. We will have to

move on. We only have half an hour. Stay with us, because we should have

a new Conservative leader by the begin of September. That is the

timetable that has been proposed by the 1922 Committee. Nominations will

close on Thursday so who will roll up their sleeves and walk through

the door? Boris Johnson is the obvious

candidate, but there are a number Jeremy Hunt is on manoeuvres -

he's written an article in the Telegraph calling

for a second referendum once Britain has negotiated its withdrawal

from the EU. Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen

Crabb is understood to be teaming up with Business Secretary Sajid Javid

for a joint campaign, and it's being reported in the press

this morning that Theresa May is emerging as a

potential favourite. Others who could throw their hat

into the ring include Liam Fox, Nicky Morgan, Andrea Leadsom

and Dominic Raab, although one person who's definitely ruled

himself out is the one time He's written in the Times this

morning that he believes he is "not the person to provide

the unity my party needs". Who will roll up their sleeves and

walk through the door? Who is your favourite? Let us see who puts hair

hat in the ring tomorrow. I will support someone who has committed

themselves to leave the European Union. Liam Fox, Boris Johnson? It

has to be, we have to have the country led by someone with a clear

commitment to leave the political arrangement of the European Union,

and set up a new relationship based on trade and cooperation. Even those

who campaigned for Remain will respect the will of the British

people They will be harpooned by the fact they voted to Remain We have to

have someone with a clear commitment to leave the European Union. If we

don't, the whole political class is discredited. Yes or no Boris

Johnson. Aagree. We are out of time. Thank you to you, bye.