MAY CAVES IN ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS TO SAVE BREXIT DEAL
She hopes to woo Labour MPs with key concessions on pay and conditions
DESPERATE Theresa May is ready to give in to key Labour demands on workers’ rights in a bid to salvage her Brexit deal.
The PM yesterday suffered her second Commons defeat in 24 hours.
But she hopes backing an amendment that would enshrine EU rules on pay and conditions – plus the
environment and health and safety – in British law will sway rival MPs to vote in her favour next week.
John Mann, one of the Labour MPs behind the amendment, said it could make her deal “more attractive”.
He said: “If we have a guarantee that works on workers’ rights and conditions, that’s significant.”
THERESA May hopes to convince Labour MPs to support her Brexit deal by backing a call for guarantees on environmental protections and workers’ rights.
The Mirror understands the Government is likely to support an amendment put down by Labour’s John Mann, Caroline Flint and Gareth Snell.
It would guarantee EU protections are enshrined in British law after we leave the bloc – and mean if Brussels later strengthens those rights, MPs could decide whether to adopt the same standards.
Key demands for Jeremy Corbyn are assurances on workers’ rights, the rules on the environment, and health and safety.
But the seven-page blueprint for our future relationship with the EU only briefly mentions that Brussels and the UK are “determined to work together” to safeguard them and is not binding.
One of Labour’s six tests for the deal is: “Does it defend rights and protections and prevent a race to the bottom?” Mr Mann said the amendment would make it “more attractive”, adding: “If we have a guarantee that works on workers’ rights and conditions, that’s significant.”
Downing Street hopes the move could sway as many as 20 Labour MPs, most with Leave-voting seats, to back the PM. Ms Flint said: “Given the Government cannot rely on the hard Brexiteers on their side, they have to reach out across the House.
“It’s about making sure we protect what we’ve got but also making sure MPs are able to take back control if the EU strengthens rights in those areas.
“I would hope this would get [the Labour frontbench’s] full support because it’s one of the key points that has been made by the Labour in terms of how do you define a good deal.”
It came after another day of drama in the Commons as Mrs May suffered her second defeat on Brexit in 24 hours. A cross-party group backed an amendment by Tory rebel Dominic Grieve 308 to 297, forcing her to set out her Plan B within three days in the event of defeat in Tuesday’s crunch vote.
No 10 sources said the PM plans to respond to any defeat immediately, and MPs could then amend any new plan.
Speaker John Bercow was forced to deny being biased against the Government after being accused of flouting convention to allow the amendment. He refused to say if the Commons clerk backed his move.
The Government also accepted an amendment by Tory Hugo Swire, which gives MPs power to veto the Irish backstop and a transition extension in 2020. It would also limit the backstop to 12 months.
And Tory Nick Boles revealed he had a death threat after joining his party’s rebellion against a no-deal Brexit.