Brexit latest: Jeremy Corbyn accepts Theresa May offer of cross-party talks to break logjam

'We recognise that she has made a move, I recognise my responsibility to represent the people that supported Labour in the last election'

Jeremy Corbyn has said he is "very happy" to meet with Theresa May after she offered to hold cross-party talks in an effort to break the Brexit logjam at Westminster.

The Labour leader's remarks came after the prime minister used a Downing Street statement to the nation to announce that she will seek a short extension to the Article 50 negotiating period.

Ms May also offered to hold talks with Mr Corbyn in order to thrash out a future relationship with the EU that can command a majority in the House of Commons.

"Today I am taking action to break the logjam," she said. "I am offering to sit down with the leader of the opposition and try to agree a plan - that we would both stick to - to ensure that we leave the European Union and that we do so with a deal."

In response, Mr Corbyn said he will meet with the prime minister, adding: "We recognise that she has made a move, I recognise my responsibility to represent the people that supported Labour in the last election and the people who didn't support Labour but nevertheless want certainty and security for their own future and that's the basis on which we will meet her and we will have those discussions."

Mr Corbyn added: "However people voted in the referendum in 2016, whether they voted remain or they voted leave, they didn't vote for lower living standards, they didn't vote to lose their jobs.

"And actually there's far more that unites people on both sides about the kind of society we can be than divides them."

He said the question of whether the UK takes part in the EU elections was not the most important question, rather that the most important issue was "to make sure we don't crash out of the EU next week with no deal, and what I believe would be a degree of chaos that would follow as a result".

He also warned that Labour would "hold in reserve" the option of tabling a confidence motion in the government if it "proves it is incapable of commanding a majority in the House of Commons".

Responding to Ms May's statement, however, the former foreign secretary and Tory Brexiteer Boris Johnson said it was "very disappointing" the cabinet had decided to "entrust the final handling of Brexit" to Mr Corbyn and the Labour Party.

"It now seem all too likely that British trade policy and key law making powers will be handed over to Brussels - with no say for the UK."