The shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Smith, was sacked by Jeremy Corbyn on Friday after breaking with Labour policy to call for a referendum on the final Brexit deal.
Smith, who challenged Corbyn for the party leadership in 2016, wrote an article in the Guardian, urging his party to reopen the question of whether Brexit was the right thing for Britain – and to offer the public a vote.
Corbyn is believed to have taken the decision on the basis that Smith had not been a team player, and had repeatedly breached shadow cabinet collective responsibility on Brexit, including by calling for Britain to remain in the single market.
But the sacking, which was announced on Friday evening, is likely to inflame tensions in the parliamentary Labour party over Brexit.
Corbyn has suffered a series of rebellions on the issue, including on remaining in a customs union – a stance that subsequently became Labour policy.
A vocal group of backbenchers has campaigned for Corbyn to go further and embrace single market membership; or even allow the public to reconsider their decision. Smith could now become a rallying point for them.
Smith said he had been sacked for his “long-held views”, and made clear he would continue to express them from the backbenches “in the interest of our country”.
Just been sacked by @jeremycorbyn for my long held views on the damage #Brexit will do to the Good Friday Agreement & the economy of the entire U.K. Those views are shared by Labour members & supporters and I will continue to speak up for them, and in the interest of our country.
— Owen Smith (@OwenSmith_MP) March 23, 2018
In his piece for the Guardian on Friday, Smith said his party could only “serve democracy” by recommending a poll on the Brexit deal. “Labour needs to do more than just back a soft Brexit or guarantee a soft border in Ireland,” he argued.
“We have the right to ask if Brexit remains the right choice for the country. And to ask, too, that the country has a vote on whether to accept the terms and true costs of that choice once they are clear.”
Smith will be replaced by Tony Lloyd, the shadow housing minister, who returned to parliament in 2017 after an unsuccessful attempt to become Labour’s mayoral candidate for Manchester.
“Tony is a highly experienced former government minister who is committed to ensuring that peace in Northern Ireland is maintained and helping to steer the devolution deal back on track,” Corbyn said.
Anglea Smtih, Labour’s leader in the Lords, said, “In all the years I have known Owen, it’s always been enjoyable to work in the same team as him; he’s been very inclusive and as shadow Northern Ireland secretary he’s worked closely with the Lords team. He remains a good friend.”
The former Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain claimed Smith had been the victim of a “terrible Stalinist purge”. Redcar MP Anna Turley said the decision was “disappointing”.
Smith recently travelled to Northern Ireland to meet all parties in the suspended Stormont assembly. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he was “very sorry” about the news. “Owen has a great grasp of the issues affecting us here. He particularly understood the challenges of Brexit and was very supportive of sensible solutions to help us avoid a hard border.”
The demand for a second EU referendum was the most distinctive policy position on which the Pontypridd MP fought his unsuccessful bid for Labour leadership, in the wake of the 2016 referendum.
Smith was convincingly defeated by Corbyn, but some of his views may chime with the party’s pro-remain base. When polled, members are strongly in favour of remaining in the single market and the customs union – and many would like to see Brexit prevented.
Corbyn has repeatedly insisted it is not Labour’s policy to offer voters a chance to consider the final Brexit deal at the ballot box.
Smith’s sacking followed the announcement earlier this month that the shadow work and pensions secretary, Debbie Abrahams, would stand aside while allegations of bullying against her are investigated – she has sinced claimed that she had herself been bullied by senior party figures.
Corbyn’s team, including the shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, had carefully constructed a consensus over Brexit, which would see Britain remain in a customs union with the EU, but demanding a say in future trade deals.
However, Corbyn has made clear that he has a number of concerns with aspects of single market membership, fearing that it could prevent a future Labour government from renationalising public services such as the Royal Mail.