Face up to hard choices on Europe, MPs tell Diane Abbott

Anger: Diane Abbott missed the first vote on triggering Article 50
BBC
Kate Proctor6 February 2017
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Diane Abbott needs to “face up” to tough choices on Europe and justify her place on the frontbench, Labour MPs said today.

MPs are said to be furious that the Shadow Home Secretary missed the first vote on triggering Article 50 because of a migraine while other seriously ill colleagues managed to attend.

Today, as MPs debate the first round of amendments to the Brexit Bill, colleagues called on her to lead the debate when it falls across her brief.

MP Stephen Pound, MP for Ealing North and Shadow Northern Ireland Minister, said: “We have all got to wrestle with our conscience on this issue. I think she needs to... face up to it.”

Remain campaigner Neil Coyle, the MP for Bermondsey, said she needed to do more than turn up through the voting lobbies as her job covers issues raised in today’s set of amendments, including the rights of EU citizens.

He said: “She needs to be part of the Commons scrutiny. She should be fighting for NHS workers from EU countries and for international students at universities. Her job covers immigration and international security issues.

“Both Tulip Siddiq and Dawn Butler [are] London MPs who did the honourable thing by resigning because they could not sustain their positions and agree with the collective position.”

A Labour source said: “We are furious about last week. If she was ill the whips could have seen her. There’s no excuse. We have people like Dawn Butler who resigned as they couldn’t support the whip.

"There’s that sense of injustice. Why does Diane get away with it?”

Ms Abbott was unavailable for comment today.

Today MPs will start three days of scrutiny on the Brexit Bill with amendments on parliamentary oversight, the rights of EU citizens and the devolved administrations.

Theresa May is facing a potential backbench revolt, with rebel Tories threatening to vote with Labour and the SNP to change the Bill.

Pro-Remain Conservatives are seeking assurances Parliament will get a say on the “endgame” if Brexit negotiations collapse without a deal with the remaining 27 member states.

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