What do Labour and Jeremy Corbyn want from the Brexit plan?
Party leader's priorities in talks with Theresa May will include customs union and market access
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Theresa May is to hold talks with Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to break the Commons deadlock on Brexit negotiations.
The Labour leader said he would be “very happy” to meet the prime minister and would not “set any limits” ahead of their discussions, but he vowed to ensure his party’s Brexit priorities remained “on the table”.
Labour wants a softer Brexit than Ms May’s withdrawal agreement proposes.
Its priorities include a customs union with the European Union (EU), access to the single market, and protections for consumer, environmental and workers’ rights.
“We’re also very clear that there has to be an absolute guarantee that the Good Friday Agreement is maintained for peace in Northern Ireland,” Mr Corbyn said.
In February, Mr Corbyn wrote to the prime minister pledging to throw his party's support being her Brexit deal if she agreed to five binding commitments.
Those were:
- A “permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union”, including a say in future trade deals
- Close alignment with the single market, underpinned by “shared institutions and obligations”
- “Dynamic alignment on rights and protections”, so UK standards do not fall behind those of the EU
- Clear commitments on UK participation in EU agencies and funding programmes
- Unambiguous agreements on future security arrangements, such as use of the European arrest warrant and shared databases
Labour last year also outlined six “tests” by which it said it would judge the prime minister’s Brexit deal.
Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said his party would vote against any withdrawal agreement that did not meet those criteria – which included delivering the "exact same benefits" as being in the single market and customs union.
It remains to be seen if Labour is will to give ground on any of its priorities as seeks to avert a no-deal Brexit.
Ms May's own red lines include making sure the UK is out of the customs union, while she has also ruled out a second referendum - something Labour would back to confirm to terms of the withdrawal agreement.
But a Number 10 source said "unless there is compromise on both sides, it is unlikely we can find a way forward".
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments