Corbyn says Labour WOULD leave single market

LABOUR was plunged into a fresh bout of infighting over Brexit last night after Jeremy Corbyn said he supported Britain leaving the single market.

After months of confusion over his party’s policy, the Labour leader said the UK must quit the common market because it is ‘inextricably’ part of the EU.

But he admitted his party had not made up its mind on membership of the customs union – which places tariffs on imports from around the world and stops Britain negoti- ating trade deals. His comments sparked fury from Remain-supporting Labour MPs.

Former frontbencher Chuka Umunna pointed to polls suggesting most Labour members support continued single market membership. ‘The overwhelming majority of Labour members think we should be fighting to stay in the single market – let’s do it,’ he said.

Mr Corbyn said Labour had ‘made it clear’ it wanted tariff-free trade with the EU but had not ‘jumped on either side’ of the fence on customs union membership.

He told The Andrew Marr Show: ‘The single market is dependent on membership of the EU ... We want a tariff-free trade access to the European market and a partnership with Europe in the future.

‘The two things are inextricably linked so the question then is the kind of trade relationship of the future and we have made it very clear we want a tariff-free trade access with the European market. We haven’t jumped on either side of that fence but, again, the customs union is part of the EU.’

Tory MP Nusrat Ghani blasted Labour’s ‘confusion and inability to agree on anything’, adding: ‘Week after week Jeremy Corbyn and his top team are simply unable to give straight answers on Brexit.’

During the vote on the Queen’s Speech, 49 Labour MPs backed an amendment that Britain should stay in the single market, forcing Mr Corbyn to sack three frontbenchers.