JUST under half of the Labour Party’s city councillors have said they are in favour of a national vote on the final Brexit deal.

In a letter to the Oxford Mail, 16 of the party’s 35 councillors said the people should vote on whatever deal Theresa May’s Government negotiates with the European Union. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.

The letter is signed by five current executive board members, including its deputy leader, Linda Smith, Tom Hayes and a former city council leader, John Tanner. The trio worked to drum up signatories for the letter.

In it they say Brexit will ‘trash the economy, scrap workers’ rights and bind us to a future of deregulation and dodgy trade deals’.

With the United States being led by Donald Trump, who they describe as a ‘chest-thumping nationalist committed to putting American First, the United Kingdom should expect to face demands to lower our environmental and food standards and allow access to our beloved National Health Service for predatory US private health care firms’.

Other executive board members supporting the call for a so-called People’s Vote are Mary Clarkson, Louise Upton and Nigel Chapman.

Colin Gordon, from the Oxford for Europe group, said: “We’re delighted. We are categorically campaigning for the People’s Vote and are affiliated to groups campaigning for a People’s Vote."

A Green Party motion on Monday will ask the council to formally back a People's Vote.

The councillors' letter:

Tory Brexit will trash the economy, scrap workers’ rights, and bind us to a future of deregulation and dodgy trade deals. May’s Brexit is a disaster for working people and a blow to public services. The Prime Minister’s plans threaten hard-won peace in Ireland, undermine efforts to tackle climate change and protect the environment, and harm all of our futures.

When the United States is led by President Trump, a chest-thumping nationalist committed to putting America First, the United Kingdom should expect to face demands to lower our environmental and food standards and allow access to our beloved National Health Service for predatory US private health care firms.

Let’s give the phrase Take Back Control real meaning. Voters in 2016 gave the Government a mandate to negotiate our departure from the EU and they deserve a say over the Brexit deal. We believe that the people should have the final say over the final Brexit deal. We call for a General Election and, if one is not forthcoming, a People’s Vote.

Signed by:

Cllr Tom Hayes (Labour and Co-operative Party)

Cllr Linda Smith (Labour Party)

Cllr Mary Clarkson (Labour Party)

Cllr Louise Upton (Labour Party)

Cllr Nigel Chapman (Labour Party)

Cllr John Tanner (Labour Party)

Cllr Jamila Azad (Labour Party)

Cllr Pat Kennedy (Labour Party)

Cllr Tiago Corais (Labour Party)

Cllr Mark Lygo (Labour Party)

Cllr David Henwood (Labour Party)

Cllr Alex Donnelly (Labour Party)

Cllr Sian Taylor (Labour Party)

Cllr Christine Simm (Labour Party)

Cllr Steven Curran (Labour Party)

Cllr Joe McManners (Labour Party)