A GENERAL election, not another referendum, is the way to break the impasse on Brexit in Parliament, Aslef president Dave Calfe told the annual assembly of delegates (AAD) today.

Mr Calfe welcomed delegates to “the 2019 AAD, our parliament, here in Leeds, city of our first head office, at the Commercial Inn, in Sweet Street.”

He recalled the union’s early days, and how workers organised a structure, “built on regional, not company lines. A branch based, lay member-led, trade union.”

He said: “We have a government and a Parliament in paralysis. Whichever side of the Brexit debate you are on this is no way to run the country.

“The only thing that will resolve the situation is a general election and a Labour government — not a people’s vote, or a second referendum, but a general election.

“We have a Transport Secretary who would have been managed out of our industry years ago — and by managed, I do mean sacked — because of the damage he is doing to our industry.

“When fares are increased by RPI he says workers should take a lower pay rise, implying that fare increases would be lower, but making no mention of the companies taking millions of pounds out of our industry every year.

“He’s brought us the ferries fiasco where he’s been sued by Eurotunnel, and paid them out, and is now being sued by P&O for the £33 million given to Eurotunnel. He’s been in court more times than us in the last year.”