Theresa May meets opposition leaders to find way forward as Corbyn threatens further votes of no confidence
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May is set to meet opposition leaders and eurosceptics within her party as she attempts to find a way forward for Brexit after her plan suffered the biggest Commons defeat in history.
The prime minister called on politicians to “put self-interest aside” and work together after squeaking through a vote of no confidence called in the wake of Monday's defeat by a margin of just 19 votes, thanks to support from the DUP.
Last night Ms May held talks with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville-Roberts, but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet her until she rules out a no-deal Brexit.
Speaking in Hastings, Mr Corbyn repeated his position and confirmed that he would table repeat votes of no confidence to try to trigger a general election.
Labour will also push for a Commons vote on its own Brexit plan – a customs union, “strong” alignment with the single market and protected workers’ and environmental rights – later this month.
This liveblog has now closed, but scroll above to see how the day's events unfolded
Jeremy Corbyn has outlined his position on a potential Final Say referendum and has said it cannot be a re-run of what happened in 2016
Mr Corbyn repeated that all options remained on the table, including a second referendum, saying that "given the severity of the crisis it would be wrong to rule any of them out".
He outlined the party's desire for a Brexit deal that included membership of a customs union, close links to the single market and worker rights protections.
Those three elements provide the essential building blocks of a sensible deal with a clear potential to win majority support in Parliament and I believe such a deal would help to bring people together and overcome the divisions in our country.
But if the government remains intransigent, if support for Labour's alternative is blocked for party advantage and the country is facing the potential disaster of no-deal, our duty will then be to look at other options which we set out in our confidence motion, including that of a public vote."
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, has written to Theresa May demanding that “the starting point for any talks about how to break the Brexit deadlock must be that the threat of a disastrous ‘no deal’ outcome is ruled out.”
In the letter Mr Corbyn states that “after the unprecedented and unnecessary delay to the meaningful vote last month, entering into talks while the clock continues to run down, and the threat of a chaotic ‘no deal’ increases, would be a reckless leap in the dark.”
Full text of letter:
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to follow up on my statement in the Commons last night on a point of order.
I wish to reiterate the points I raised at Prime Minister’s Questions and to formally set out the position of the Labour Party.
We are firmly of the opinion that the starting point for any talks about how to break the Brexit deadlock must be that the threat of a disastrous ‘no deal’ outcome is ruled out.
That is the position that Labour set out in our 2017 manifesto, at our 2018 party conference – and that we have consistently adhered to throughout.
I note that it is a position shared by all the opposition parties, including the DUP, and is the expressed will of Parliament. If you are serious about reaching a deal, then ‘no deal’ must be ruled out.
After the unprecedented and unnecessary delay to the meaningful vote last month, entering into talks while the clock continues to run down, and the threat of a chaotic ‘no deal’ increases, would be a reckless leap in the dark.
The Chancellor and the Business Secretary were both open to ruling out ‘no deal’ in the recent conference call with business leaders.
Therefore, on behalf of the Labour Party, I ask you to rule out ‘no deal’ and to immediately end the waste of hundreds of millions of pounds of public money preparing for a ‘no deal’ outcome. The £4.2 billion currently allocated to ‘no deal’ planning could significantly improve many of cash-starved public services on which people rely and could transform the lives of those struggling on Universal Credit.
Labour is open to meaningful discussions. But following the decisive rejection of the government’s deal by MPs on Tuesday, those cannot be on the basis of your existing red lines. It is clear that no tweaks or further assurances are going to win support for the government’s Brexit deal in Parliament.
We have set out an alternative framework for a better deal: based upon a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union; a strong Single Market deal; and guarantees that there can be no race to the bottom on rights and standards. That is the consistent position that Labour has outlined over the past year.
I am disappointed that there have already been several briefings in which you continue to rule out a customs union. A new customs union is part of a solution favoured by most businesses and trade unions, and one that I believe could command a majority of the House of Commons.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Leader of the Opposition
DUP leader Arlene Foster has said the Irish backstop is still her party's biggest concern in the Brexit negotiation.
Speaking outside Downing Street she said: "We are optimistic. We want to see a Withdrawal Agreement that works for the whole of the United Kingdom and one that works for the European Union.
"The way to do that is to deal with the backstop.
Speaking after meeting the PM, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: "We focused on what we believe is the surest way of breaking the Parliamentary gridlock, which is to go for a people's vote."
"We had a fairly lengthy discussion about that and we set out some of the criteria which could be adopted.
"We are available to continue those discussions."
He added: "Taking no deal off the table is essential in the short term we believe, but also we have to end no progress, so it's good to talk."
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