ONLY Labour can speak for the whole nation on Brexit, Sir Keir Starmer, has insisted ahead of an expected visit to Scotland this week.
The Shadow Brexit Secretary, who is due in Edinburgh as part of a “listening tour” with David Anderson, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, said the choice facing Britain now was one between an "isolated, hard Brexit and a collaborative, co-operative Brexit".
Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, the London MP said: “We are seeing a country divided more than we’ve ever seen it, more than I can ever remember.”
Read more: Scots more worried about Brexit than rest of UK, study finds
He argued the Conservatives and Ukip were speaking only for a group within the 52 per cent, who voted Leave, while the Liberal Democrats were speaking to the 48 per cent, who voted to remain.
“Labour have members...voters and MPs in both camps and we have to bring this country back together...Labour can do that by understanding the core reasons why Brexit happened,” insisted Sir Keir.
Read more: Scots more worried about Brexit than rest of UK, study finds
In the wake of the Liberal Democrats’ shock by-election victory at Richmond Park when Labour lost its deposit, the Shadow Secretary of State dismissed talk of a “progressive alliance” with parties such as the Lib Dems and Greens, saying: “I don’t see how that alliance would work. The Labour Party has to speak for the whole nation."
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