Corbyn ‘told EU he backs customs union’

JEREMY Corbyn told Brussels that Labour could keep Britain in the customs union, it was claimed last night. According to an EU memo, the Labour leader told the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier that he would run talks ‘very differently’ to Theresa May.

EU diplomats believe he was seeking to undermine the Prime Minister in Brexit negotiations, with one suggesting he was ‘asking for a coup d’etat’. Last month, Mr Corbyn told the BBC that Labour wanted ‘a form of customs union’ with the EU but added: ‘Obviously whether it would be the customs union, answer no, because it would require being a member of the EU.’ However, according to the memo, seen by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Corbyn claimed he was ‘open’ to the idea of the UK remaining in the current customs union.

He made the alleged comments in a meeting with Mr Barnier in London on Monday.

One diplomat told the paper: ‘It sounded like he more or less asked for a coup d’etat. As if he was saying, ‘you guys just let May go and I’ll be your guy”.’

Remaining in the customs union would force us to adopt the EU’s external trade tariffs, making it difficult to strike deals with other countries.

Labour last night strongly denied the report.

A spokesman said: ‘ Jeremy did not say he was open to staying in the customs union.

‘ He said that a customs union was a viable end point.’

David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, and Mr Barnier will give an update today on the progress of talks.

But last night Mr Davis hit out at Brussels over its threats to punish Britain.

The EU threatened in a legal document earlier this week to impose a ‘punishment clause’ on the UK during the transition period, giving it powers to impose sanctions until 2020.

Mr Davis said: ‘I do not think it was in good faith to publish a document with frankly discourteous language and actually implying that they could arbitrarily terminate in effect the implementation period.’