Labour came a very disappointing fourth in Cambridge in the European elections vote last Thursday, a result as bad as the last time Labour was fourth in the city in the 2009 Euro elections ten years ago.

This time, the vote across the East region also led to Labour’s and the region’s most hard working and effective MEP Alex Mayer losing her seat, and the Conservatives doing even worse, only narrowly holding one of their three 2014 seats in the European Parliament.

In a joint response, Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner, Councillor Lewis Herbert Labour Leader of Cambridge City Council and Chair of Cambridge Labour Party Mike Davey have restated their joint commitment to campaign with Cambridge residents and people across the UK for the public to be given a second vote on any deal or No Deal that Parliament decides to support in 2019 or beyond.

They added

“We hear loud and clear the view of Cambridge residents last Thursday. Cambridge is overwhelmingly for Remain and the remain vote is now even stronger across the East than five years ago. Once again Cambridge has stated its overwhelming support for Europe to our country and to both the biggest parties at Westminster. Cambridge residents including many long-time Labour supporters also gave the wider country and the Labour Party their clear message last Thursday. Along with many similar communities, our great city is determined to win that second vote on whatever deal or No Deal Parliament eventually agrees.

“We know how divided our country is, and that second vote is an essential part of healing the horrendous division across the UK, made far worse by three years of incompetent Conservative Government.  Due to their abject failure, Britain is now badly hurt and damaged, despite Labour in Parliament consistently blocking No Deal and some 200 Labour MPs being at the core of the Commons votes for a confirmatory vote.

“Cambridge Labour policy has been and remains exactly the same as our Shadow Labour Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry MP argued for last night. Britain must have a second vote and we also want our to see our party nationally campaigning in that vote for Remain. We will redouble our campaign for Remain, as part of that wider Coalition of tens of thousands in Cambridge and millions across the country and our party.

“Finally, we so regret that the vote in the East meant a committed opponent of Brexit Alex Mayer lost her seat, the only MEP out of seven in the East who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU.  Alex has been an outstanding servant of the region as a Euro MP, and we thank Alex for her astonishing work rate, supported by Labour’s wider candidates and team across every part of the region. We look forward to Alex returning as a Labour representative as soon as there is a General Election that is so urgently needed to end the reign of the worst Government by far in the country’s history.”