Corbyn piles pressure on May over Brexit

Britain should stay in a customs union with the EU even after it leaves the bloc, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn says, setting up a possible parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister Theresa May.

As May tries to strike a divorce deal with the EU by October, she faces a rebellion by a small group of pro-Europeans inside her Conservative Party that Labour Party leader Corbyn hopes to use to undermine her authority. May has ruled out any customs union with the EU after Brexit because it would prevent Britain from striking new trade deals with fast-growing economies such as China and India.

Corbyn backed a customs union in a speech on Monday, setting the stage for Labour Party MPs to join Conservative rebels in supporting amendments to trade legislation.

“Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UKEU customs union to ensure there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need whatsoever for a hard border in Northern Ireland,” he said.

But he disappointed some anti-Brexit politicians in his party by indicating he, like May, favoured Britain leaving the EU’s single market — the only way it would be able to prevent unlimited immigration from Europe.

Corbyn said the Labour Party would not support any deal that would do lasting damage to jobs, rights and living standards.

“I appeal to MPs of all parties to be prepared to put the people’s interests before the ideological fantasies,” he said.

The vote on the amendments could be tight. May holds a working majority of 13 seats and, while British media said 10 to 15 of her party MPs might rebel, a few pro-Brexit Labour MPs were expected to vote with the government.

Defeat would represent a major challenge to May.

However, some of the Conservative Party rebels have already played down talk of a government collapse and any changes could be reversed later in the legislative process. Conservative Party MPs could rebel against May’s Brexit strategy