Brexit: Labour's Northern Irish sister party calls on MPs to back EEA membership ahead of crunch vote

SDLP says staying in bloc 'fundamental' to preventing hard border on island of Ireland

Labour's sister party in Northern Ireland has warned MPs to back plans to effectively keep Britain in the UK single market or else risk the return of a hard border on the island.

The SDLP has written to Labour MPs saying it is “critical” they vote for Britain to stay in the European Economic Area (EEA), ahead of a crunch Commons vote on the issue.

Jeremy Corbyn has ordered his MPs to abstain on a House of Lords amendment that would guarantee EEA membership but is certain to face a significant revolt, with around 70 Labour MPs expected to defy instructions in order to back the motion.

The Independent understands several others, mostly from Leave-supporting constituencies, are likely break ranks to vote against the motion.

Staying in the EEA would in effect keep Britain in the EU single market, helping solve the problem of how to manage the Northern Ireland border after Brexit.

In a letter to MPs ahead of Commons votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill, the SDLP's leader, Colum Eastwood, and its Brexit spokesperson, Claire Hanna, said: “This is a pivotal moment and it is the view of the SDLP that several amendments contain opportunities to protect the island of Ireland that should not be missed."

Describing remaining in the EEA as "critical", they wrote: "While membership of the EEA is not the SDLP's ideal position, the adoption of this amendment will allow for the necessary alignment with the single market, which is fundamental to preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland.

"While we understand and appreciate that there has been good work and efforts made to move to a position of alignment with the European Internal Market - the SDLP stresses that the removal of the EEA from the draft text of the bill will represent a weakening of this position - and will risk a hard border in Ireland.

"The SDLP urges all MPs to support the Lords' amendment to remain in the EEA - we don’t just need a vision for a better negotiation strategy, we need it to be a plan."

Labour is opposed to remaining in the EEA, with Mr Corbyn having described the option as "not suitable" for the UK. Instead, the party says it would negotiate a “more ambitious” bespoke deal that would give the UK “full access” to the single market, but would seek to secure exceptions on issues such as migration.

Many of the party’s MPs have made clear they would not vote for any Brexit policy that would mean the continuation of freedom of movement, which they believe is a red line for their constituents.

The Independent revealed earlier in the week that a number of them had written to Mr Corbyn urging him to resist pressure from pro-EU colleagues who want a softer Brexit.

They wrote: "Staying in the EEA whilst outside the European Union would be the opposite of what the public voted for. There would be a huge democratic deficit, as the UK became a ‘rule taker,’ not a ‘rule maker’.”

“Crucially, despite suggestions to the contrary, EEA membership would require accepting free movement of Labour. Concerns about free movement were an important factor which drove our constituents to vote Leave, and almost half of all Remain voters wanted changes to free movement. We do not believe these concerns should be ignored.”