One of Britain’s biggest trade unions on Tuesday joined calls for a new public vote on leaving the European Union, saying voters were misled during the 2016 referendum campaign.
The GMB union, which has more than 600,000 members, said “the promises that were made during the referendum campaign are simply not the reality we are facing.”
In a video statement, GMB General Secretary Tim Roache says the union’s members in manufacturing, retail and other sectors face uncertainty because the British government has yet to negotiate a deal with the EU.
The union says Britons voted to leave the EU, but they “did not vote for economic chaos or to put jobs and hard-won rights on the line,” and voters should be able to accept or reject the final Brexit deal.
May wants to keep the U.K. aligned to EU regulations in return for free trade in goods. But her plan has infuriated Conservative supporters of a clean-break Brexit, who say it would prevent the U.K. from striking new trade deals around the world.
EU leaders, meanwhile, say May’s plan smacks of “cherry picking” benefits of membership in the bloc without the cost or responsibilities.
Source: AP
