News / Politics

Labour leader faces no confidence motion after Brexit vote

Friday, 24 June 2016 1:16 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 24 June 2016 1:18 PM ]

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing a no confidence vote over his handling of the European Union (EU) referendum campaign.

In a historic referendum on Thursday, British citizens voted to leave the EU, a bloc that the United Kingdom joined more than 40 years ago.

Corbyn has been accused of not doing enough in favor of the Remain campaign.

Labour MPs Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey on Friday tabled a motion of no confidence in Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party.

The MPs made the demand in a letter sent to the chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).

"We wish to submit a motion for urgent consideration by the Parliamentary Labour Party as follows: that this PLP has no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party," they wrote.

"Given the importance of this issue, I would urge you to bring forward consideration of this motion for discussion on Monday ... with a ballot of colleagues on Tuesday,” they added.

However, Corbyn said he was "absolutely staying.” He vowed to continue to work against austerity measures, for providing "decent" services to people and to campaign for having a good relationship with Europe.

Membership of the European Union has been a controversial issue in the UK since the country joined the then European Economic Community in 1973.

Those in favor of a British withdrawal from the EU argued that outside the bloc, London would be better positioned to conduct its own trade negotiations, better able to control immigration and free from what they believe to be excessive EU regulations and bureaucracy.

Those in favor of remaining in the bloc argued that leaving it would risk the UK's prosperity, diminish its influence over world affairs, and result in trade barriers between the UK and the EU.

After the Brexit vote, the British pound crashed to its lowest levels in 31 years, dropping below $1.35 for the first time since 1985.

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