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Labour’s Smith says single market membership ‘more important than immigration controls’

LABOUR MP Owen Smith has said he will use the Parliamentary vote on Article 50 to fight the case for Britain to remain in the single market as it is “more important than controlling immigration”.

The Pontypridd MP made the comments after alone and that it was up to Parliament to decide if Britain should go ahead with Brexit.

While clashing with TV presenter Andrew Neil on BBC Two’s Daily Politics this afternoon, politician said he wanted to see single market membership “as a red line in our negotiation”.

He added: “That is absolutely one of the things that I think ought to be stipulated by Parliament as one of the conditions on the government in going into the negotiations. That is my view and that is what I’m trying to achieve.”

Neil blasted Mr Smith and accused him of attempting to “water down” the Brexit vote.

Andrew Neil and Owen SmithBBC/DAILY POLITICS

Andrew Neil blasted Owen Smith on Daily Politics this afternoon

I would definitely want to reflect what I think is actually, if you look at the polls, majority opinion in Britain, which is that economic circumstances are more important… than controlling immigration

Labour MP Owen Smith

He said: “It follows that if we remain a member of the single market, we remain under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and we’re subject to the freedom of movement rules, so this is really a way of undermining the decision taken on June 23, you understand that don’t you?

The MP said there were “many moving parts” in the “machine” and different possible outcomes.

He said: “Potentially some of those things could apply but we’re going into completely uncharted territory, two years of open ended negotiating with European partners who themselves are going through, as you will know, elections next May and next September.

“I think there are many moving parts in this machine and all sorts of possible outputs from the machine and we need to be I think clear from the government what they think the red lines are.”

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Mr Smith claimed polls suggested the public valued Britain’s economic stability over controls on immigration.

“I would definitely want to reflect what I think is actually, if you look at the polls, majority opinion in Britain, which is that economic circumstances are more important… than controlling immigration, that’s certainly what polls have shown and that means staying within the single market.”

Neil scolded the MP once more and said remaining in the single market would be “tantamount” to reversing the Brexit vote.

Mr Smith replied: “You say that Andrew but I’m not sure that’s true. I don’t think the membership of the single market was on the ballot paper.”

Content retrieved from: http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/728853/owen-smith-vows-article-50-vote-single-market.

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