Labour’s Brexit boss in talks for lucrative job at law firm which led the campaign to block Brexit
Sir Keir Starmer is considering returning as an adviser to Mischcon de Reya, which represented Gina Miller's Article 50 case
LABOUR’s “hypocritical” Brexit chief was last night slammed for lining up a gold plated second job with lawyers that took Theresa May to court over the process for leaving the EU.
Sir Keir Starmer was urged to explain how he could possibly take up the role of legal advisor to Mischon De Reya given he was a member of the Privy Council with access to confidential Brexit negotiations.
In a blistering attack Tory MP James Cleverly demanded the Labour big-wig make a “public statement” outlining his intentions to “avoid suspicions of a conflict of interest”.
And the Tory insist Sir Keir spells out which clients he helps to advise.
He added the Labour frontbencher should “state whether you wil be involved in providing legal advice to any individual or organisation which seeks to initiate legal action against the UK government”.
Mischon De Reya represented Gina Miller when the businesswoman took the Government to court over ‘Article 50’ late last year.
Sir Keir is Labour’s lead on Brexit as Shadow Brexit Secretary and was appointed to the Privy Council on June 26. The former Director of Public Prosecutions last year pocketed £18,000 by Mischon De Reya for just 24 hours’ work.
The row comes just two years after Labour called for a BAN on second jobs taken on by MPs.
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And it followed new splits in the Labour Party over their strategy for Brexit as Welsh strategy Carwyn Jones contradicted Jeremy Corbyn by insisting the UK could stay in the single market after March 2019.
He accused Theresa May of pursuing a “nationalist” Brexit and said he didn’t accept the Labour leader’s verdict that Brexit amounted to a vote to leave the EU single market.
Separately Shadow Trade Secertary Barry Gardiner appeared to contradict his own view earlier this year by saying it was impossible for Britain to stay in the customs union once we leave the EU. He said it would leave the UK bound by EU free trade deals without achieving the benefits.
