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May and Corbyn clash over breakdown in Brexit talks May and Corbyn blame each other as Brexit talks collapse
(about 3 hours later)
Theresa May has blamed Labour’s divisions over a second referendum for the collapse of cross-party Brexit talks, after Jeremy Corbyn wrote to her to say he had no confidence in her ability to deliver on any agreement. The government and Labour have sought to blame each other after cross-party talks to find a compromise Brexit plan finally collapsed, leaving any remaining hopes of an imminent solution to the impasse in tatters.
Speaking in Bristol at a campaign event for next week’s European elections, the prime minister said the negotiations had been constructive and had “made progress”. While both sides insisted the discussions had taken place in good faith, Theresa May said a sticking point had been Labour splits over a second referendum.
But she added: “In particular, we haven’t been able to overcome the fact that there isn’t a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit or have a second referendum and try to reverse it.” Labour in turn said the government had been unwilling to compromise and that May’s imminent departure from Downing Street meant there was no guarantee any promises would be kept by a successor such as Boris Johnson.
In his letter to the prime minister, released on Friday, the Labour leader said the talks, designed to find a compromise Brexit plan, had been undermined by both a lack of common ground and concerns about whether a successor to May would stick to any deal. Nick Boles, the former Conservative MP who helped spearhead efforts to prevent a no-deal Brexit in March, said he now feared it was almost inevitable, when the EU27’s latest deadline of 31 October is reached.
May’s spokesman said the view was mutual: “It was clear to the government last night that the talks were not going to reach a successful conclusion.” “It’s game over,” he said. “We only won by one, and it’s very unclear that we would have the same level of Tory support, and for that matter Labour support. We are absolutely convinced that parliament will not find a way to stop no-deal Brexit.”
Corbyn wrote that the talks had taken place in good faith and had been constructive, but added: “However, it has become clear that, while there are some areas where compromise has been possible, we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us. The conclusion to six weeks of intermittent talks, which had angered many Conservative and Labour MPs who feared the nature of the compromise that might result, came with the release of a letter from Jeremy Corbyn to May on Friday.
While praising the talks as constructive, the Labour leader wrote: “However, it has become clear that, while there are some areas where compromise has been possible, we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us.
“Even more crucially, the increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us.”“Even more crucially, the increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us.”
May’s spokesman said the view was mutual: “It was clear to the government last night that the talks were not going to reach a successful conclusion.”
Corbyn’s letter cited examples of what he said was May’s inability to carry her government on possible compromises, for example ministerial dissent over a possible customs union and the idea of allowing reduced food standards to secure a US trade deal.
Speaking in Bristol at a campaign event for next week’s European elections, the prime minister said the negotiations had “made progress”, but blamed Labour for the lack of an outcome.
I have written to Theresa May to say that talks on finding a compromise agreement for leaving the European Union have gone as far as they can.The government's growing weakness and instability means there cannot be confidence in its ability to deliver. pic.twitter.com/H27qxDleaBI have written to Theresa May to say that talks on finding a compromise agreement for leaving the European Union have gone as far as they can.The government's growing weakness and instability means there cannot be confidence in its ability to deliver. pic.twitter.com/H27qxDleaB
However, a Downing Street source echoed May’s claim that it was Labour’s internal conflict over a referendum that ultimately made agreement impossible – and pointed to the stance of Keir Starmer. “In particular, we haven’t been able to overcome the fact that there isn’t a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit or have a second referendum and try to reverse it,” she said.
“It is clear that the shadow Brexit secretary has fairly strident views on the issue, and he led the Labour team in the negotiations,” the source said. A Downing Street source said Keir Starmer’s strong support for a second referendum was a particular sticking point. “It is clear that the shadow Brexit secretary has fairly strident views on the issue, and he led the Labour team in the negotiations,” the source said.
Starmer told the Guardian earlier this week that he believed it would be impossible for any deal to pass without a “confirmatory” referendum attached.Starmer told the Guardian earlier this week that he believed it would be impossible for any deal to pass without a “confirmatory” referendum attached.
“If the point of the exercise is to get a sustainable majority, over several weeks or months of delivering on the implementation, you can’t leave a confirmatory vote out of the package,” he said. The Brexit secretary, Steve Barclay, echoed the point during a visit to Northern Ireland, saying the talks collapsed because of “division in the Labour party over the second referendum”.
In a sign of what is likely to be a fierce debate within government in the wake of the collapse, Barclay insisted it would be possible to “mitigate the disruption” of a no-deal Brexit.
Labour hit back at this narrative, with Starmer saying May was “trying to blame everyone but herself” for the collapse of the talks. He tweeted: “She knows the reality is she couldn’t carry her own side or offer a realistic compromise. Any deal agreed wouldn’t last a day under a new Tory leader.”
The tortuous process of discussion, which saw occasional meetings between May and Corbyn and many more involving their frontbench teams and officials, had been widely predicted to come to an end, but the news was still enough to see the pound drop to its lowest level against the dollar since February.
Corbyn had come under mounting pressure from within the shadow cabinet to walk away from the talks, including from close allies who feared a stitch-up that would see Labour blamed as the facilitator of a “Tory Brexit”.
Both sides stressed that some progress had been made, with the prime minister’s chief Brexit negotiator, Ollie Robbins, in Brussels earlier this week to discuss a joint draft of proposed changes to the political declaration about Britain’s future relationship with the EU27.
But while there were signs the two leaders were not miles apart, a number of Conservative MPs were agitated at the idea of a possible customs union, Corbyn’s key demand, while many in Labour disliked the prospect of a plan not being endorsed by a second referendum.
Senior Tories warn against extended leadership contest
The government intends to press ahead with holding a vote on the withdrawal agreement bill in the week beginning 3 June – but sources stressed it would include “new features that reflect some of the discussions”, in the hope of winning over Labour MPs.The government intends to press ahead with holding a vote on the withdrawal agreement bill in the week beginning 3 June – but sources stressed it would include “new features that reflect some of the discussions”, in the hope of winning over Labour MPs.
May also plans to resume talks with her confidence and supply partners, the Democratic Unionist party, about how they could be reassured that accepting the deal would not undermine the integrity of the UK. May also plans to resume talks with the Democratic Unionist party, with which she is in a confidence and supply partnership, about how it could be reassured that accepting the deal would not undermine the integrity of the UK.
Government sources also pointed to progress on considering “alternative arrangements” for the Northern Irish border – one of the central concerns of Brexiters who have held out against the deal.Government sources also pointed to progress on considering “alternative arrangements” for the Northern Irish border – one of the central concerns of Brexiters who have held out against the deal.
Corbyn said Labour would “carefully consider” any new proposals, but added: “I should reiterate that, without significant changes, we will continue to oppose the government’s deal as we do not believe it safeguards jobs, living standards and manufacturing industry in Britain.”Corbyn said Labour would “carefully consider” any new proposals, but added: “I should reiterate that, without significant changes, we will continue to oppose the government’s deal as we do not believe it safeguards jobs, living standards and manufacturing industry in Britain.”
He cited May’s imminent departure as a reason why Labour had growing doubts “about the government’s ability to deliver on any compromise agreement”.
The prime minister on Thursday promised the executive of the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers that she would set a date for her departure in the first week of June, leading MPs to believe she will trigger a leadership contest before the summer.
Corbyn wrote: “The position of the government has become ever more unstable and its authority eroded. Not infrequently, proposals by your negotiating team have been publicly contradicted by statements from other members of the cabinet.”
May’s spokesman denied the negotiations had been doomed from the outset, saying: “It was absolutely in the national interest to enter into these discussions.”
The focus will now move to the possibility of indicative votes in the Commons to find a compromise. According to a leaked government document seen by ITV and others, May wants to hold the votes next week, before a planned vote on a withdrawal agreement in the week starting 3 June.
According to this supposed timetable, MPs could vote on whether to hold a second referendum on a final deal, which has support from many Labour MPs.
May’s spokesman declined to comment on the document, saying only: “We will be considering our next steps”.
Speaking to reporters in north London, Corbyn said of the votes: “This is a novel process which we will obviously look at whenever it comes to parliament.”
He added: “We would not rule out a second referendum. But it wouldn’t be a referendum on 2016 terms, it would be a referendum to prevent a no-deal, catastrophic exit from the European Union.”
May refusing to budge on Brexit customs union, says Labour
May has been under intense pressure from many Conservative MPs since the surprise announcement of the cross-party talks at the start of last month, with Tories fearful she would agree to Labour’s demand for a customs union to get a Brexit plan through parliament.
The pound fell below $1.28 on Friday for the first time since February, after the BBC led its bulletins with predictions of the imminent demise of the talks.
After May met the 1922 Committee executive on Thursday, its chair, Sir Graham Brady, said she would agree a timetable for the election of a new leader after her Brexit legislation returned to parliament for a final attempt in the week of 3 June.
May had previously promised she would step down only after the first stage of a Brexit plan was agreed. However, there is near-unanimous expectation that the bill will be rejected by MPs again that week.
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Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn
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