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May refusing to budge on Brexit customs union, says Labour May refusing to budge on Brexit customs union, says Labour
(about 20 hours later)
The government is refusing to budge on Labour’s central demand for a permanent customs union in cross-party talks on Brexit, according to Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary.The government is refusing to budge on Labour’s central demand for a permanent customs union in cross-party talks on Brexit, according to Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary.
She also said the government’s plan to put May’s withdrawal agreement back before parliament without first reaching agreement with Labour was a “dangerous” stunt.She also said the government’s plan to put May’s withdrawal agreement back before parliament without first reaching agreement with Labour was a “dangerous” stunt.
Long-Bailey, a key member of Labour’s negotiating team in the talks, said the issue of the customs union remained the key sticking point.Long-Bailey, a key member of Labour’s negotiating team in the talks, said the issue of the customs union remained the key sticking point.
“In terms of the customs union, we’ve been repeatedly pushing them on this point, and they haven’t reached the position that we would like them to get to by any stretch at the moment,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday.“In terms of the customs union, we’ve been repeatedly pushing them on this point, and they haven’t reached the position that we would like them to get to by any stretch at the moment,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday.
Asked if the government had moved at all on the issue, Long-Bailey said: “At the moment, no, they haven’t moved to the position that we need them to. And what worries us … is we also see letters from Tory MPs stating that they categorically shouldn’t support a customs union type arrangement.”Asked if the government had moved at all on the issue, Long-Bailey said: “At the moment, no, they haven’t moved to the position that we need them to. And what worries us … is we also see letters from Tory MPs stating that they categorically shouldn’t support a customs union type arrangement.”
Long-Bailey was not asked whether Labour would support, or abstain on, the withdrawal agreement bill when it returned to parliament in the first week of June. Although she is considered the most pro-Brexit member of Labour’s negotiating team, she suggested the party was not ready to back it.Long-Bailey was not asked whether Labour would support, or abstain on, the withdrawal agreement bill when it returned to parliament in the first week of June. Although she is considered the most pro-Brexit member of Labour’s negotiating team, she suggested the party was not ready to back it.
“It’s imperative that this is sorted out as quickly as possible,” she told BBC Breakfast. “And I think stunts and pushing things forward without consensus within parliament are very dangerous at this stage.”“It’s imperative that this is sorted out as quickly as possible,” she told BBC Breakfast. “And I think stunts and pushing things forward without consensus within parliament are very dangerous at this stage.”
She later told Today: “If it fails for a fourth time, I think people are very quickly going to start losing faith in our abilities as a parliament to be able to deal with this. So the government really needs to recognise this and very, very quickly.”She later told Today: “If it fails for a fourth time, I think people are very quickly going to start losing faith in our abilities as a parliament to be able to deal with this. So the government really needs to recognise this and very, very quickly.”
She said Labour was worried that whatever was agreed in the talks could be “ripped into pieces” by Theresa May’s successor.She said Labour was worried that whatever was agreed in the talks could be “ripped into pieces” by Theresa May’s successor.
The environment secretary’s campaign plan was knocked off course by revelations about drug-taking. He has sought to regain his place as the leading ‘Stop Boris’ with a series of policy pledges. His style is notably technocratic, with few rhetorical flourishes and an emphasis on his consensual approach and long record as a minister, notably during more than five years as health secretary, a traditional graveyard of ministerial careers. Hunt’s attempts to talk up a backstory as an 'underestimated' entrepreneur can fall flat given he is also the son of an admiral and was head boy at Charterhouse.
Gove has privately reassured colleagues over recent months that he understands the devastating consequences of a no-deal Brexit, not least for his own environment department. Overall, Hunt’s approach can seem uninspiring and hard to pin down in terms of core beliefs, hence the 'Theresa in trousers' nickname among some Tory MPs – one that is more catchy than accurate (since May herself often wears trousers).
He has also stressed his background as a reformer, and promised to boost education funding and tackle social care funding – all pitches that could appeal to Stewartites, potentially enabling Gove to overtake Jeremy Hunt.  In the final round of voting Hunt edged out Michael Gove, 77 votes to 75.
He received 37 votes in the first round, 41 in the second, and 51 in the third round, placing him third each time. In the fourth round he rose to second place with 61 votes.
Hunt’s team called his showing on Wednesday a 'fantastic result'. It was, in the sense that he avoided being overtaken by Gove, and that he picked up an extra eight votes from Tuesday’s showing of 46.
But there is no doubt that after three rounds of voting Hunt would have hoped to be the obvious challenger to Johnson, whereas he was only narrowly ahead of Gove, with just three votes in it.
The foreign secretary’s team are conscious that he risks appearing middle-of-the-road, with his rivals dismissing him as 'continuity May', or worse, Theresa in trousers, or 'Tit' for short.
He received 43 votes in the first round and 46 votes in the second round. He continued to be in second place in the third round with 54 votes, but Gove overtook him in the fourth round, where Hunt finished third with 59 votes.
Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before last week’s first round of voting among MPs, and most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister.Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before last week’s first round of voting among MPs, and most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister.
His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons.His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons.
Johnson won the first round with 114 votes, and the second round with 126 votes. He won the third round with 143 votes. He increased this to 157 votes in the fourth round. Johnson came first in the final round of voting with 160 votes.
Later on Thursday, May will face a showdown with members of the executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs over their demand for a firm resignation date.Later on Thursday, May will face a showdown with members of the executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs over their demand for a firm resignation date.
Before the meeting, the committee’s treasurer, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, told the Press Association: “It would be infinitely preferable if she set a date rather than us force her out. It’s better that she does it than we have a vote of confidence. What I would like to see is her set out a timetable to trigger a leadership contest.”Before the meeting, the committee’s treasurer, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, told the Press Association: “It would be infinitely preferable if she set a date rather than us force her out. It’s better that she does it than we have a vote of confidence. What I would like to see is her set out a timetable to trigger a leadership contest.”
After May’s appearance before the committee, it will consider changes to the party’s leadership rules that currently prevent another leadership contest before December.After May’s appearance before the committee, it will consider changes to the party’s leadership rules that currently prevent another leadership contest before December.
May’s former joint chief of staff Nick Timothy wrote in the Daily Telegraph that it was “beyond time” for her “to accept that the game is up”.May’s former joint chief of staff Nick Timothy wrote in the Daily Telegraph that it was “beyond time” for her “to accept that the game is up”.
In order to avoid a “national humiliation” and save the Conservative party, Timothy said May must “do her duty and stand aside” rather than cling to power.In order to avoid a “national humiliation” and save the Conservative party, Timothy said May must “do her duty and stand aside” rather than cling to power.
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