Labour grassroots activists accuse Corbyn of 'betraying socialism' over Brexit stance

An open letter says the Labour leader has picked the wrong approach

Mr Corbyn has said that Labour will not block Article 50 (PA)

Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of “betrayal” of his socialist values for refusing to stand in the way of Brexit.

Almost 2,000 Labour activists signed an open letter published on Saturday night criticising Mr Corbyn’s stance on the triggering of Article 50.

The intervention appears to indicate a significant disillusionment among part of Mr Corbyn’s core support, with around half of the signatories understood to have previously backed him for leader.

Labour is enforcing a three-line whip against its MPs at the second reading of the Government’s Article 50 bill, with a number of frontbenchers and whips stepping down so they can vote against it.

The party has put forward a number of amendments to the Bill and says it may not whip its MPs at future readings if they are not accepted. However, it says it will not whip against triggering Article 50.

The stance appears to be calibrated to prevent the Conservatives from claiming that Labour is blocking the referendum result – but also give its MPs in Remain-supporting areas flexibility to back their constituents.

The party faces a difficult balancing act over Brexit, with around two thirds of Labour voters having backed Remain but around two thirds of Labour constituencies having backed Leave.

Some MPs have already publicly refused to back Labour’s stance at the second reading: shadow education minister Tulip Siddiq and at least two whips, Thangam Debbonaire and Jeff Smith, have said they will not vote for the bill.

The letter, published by The Observer, says: “We are the grassroots that you have always been keen to represent.

“All of us share core Labour values of equality and opportunity for all, and we share a belief in fighting for social justice.

“And while we may differ in our beliefs and feelings with regards to your leadership, we are nevertheless united in our belief that you and your leadership team have made the wrong call on the party’s policy on Brexit.”

It continues: “You identify yourself as a ‘democratic socialist’. As the noun here is ‘socialist’, this means that a socialist is what you are first and foremost.

“However, supporting Brexit is a betrayal of your socialist values, because you know that the people who will be hurt the most by it are the people you have spent your entire life seeking to represent and support.”