Major UK Union Backs Calls for New Brexit Referendum

One of Britain's biggest trade unions is backing calls for a new public vote on leaving the European Union, saying voters were misled during the 2016 referendum campaign.

LONDON (AP) — One of Britain's biggest trade unions is backing calls for a new public vote on leaving the European Union, saying voters were misled during the 2016 referendum campaign.

The GMB union, which has more than 600,000 members, says "the promises that were made during the referendum campaign are simply not the reality we are facing."

In a video statement released Tuesday, GMB general-secretary Tim Roache says the union's members in manufacturing, retail and other sectors face uncertainty because the British government has yet to negotiate a deal with the EU.

The union says Britons voted to leave the EU, but they "did not vote for economic chaos or to put jobs and hard-won rights on the line," and voters should be able to accept or reject the final Brexit deal.

More in Global