May’s Brexit backstop goes off the rails
Corbyn tracks PM in Commons over EU transition period and leaves her stranded on the platform
THERESA May has delayed publication of her post-Brexit plans as her warring Cabinet can’t agree on how long the UK’s transition out of the EU should last.
The Prime Minister could not say yesterday when details of a temporary “backstop” plan – keeping the UK under EU rules until the Irish border issue is solved – would appear.
In the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn compared the Government’s Brexit strategy to the chaos on Northern trains. He said key documents, including the blueprint for future EU relations, had been “delayed” while customs proposals had been “cancelled”.
When May refused to answer questions on the much-anticipated White Paper on Brexit, Corbyn said she had delivered “more delays and more cancellations” than the troubled Northern Rail service.
The Labour leader said ministerial deadlock on the issue is because there is no firm end date on the transition period.
The customs backstop keeps the UK under EU rules if the transition period ends in December 2020 with no trade deal or customs arrangements in place.
The PM is under pressure from her own right-wingers, who fear that no end date to the backstop option would amount to a “Hotel California Brexit”, where Britain would check out but never fully leave the EU. Downing Street officials said the UK proposals for a backstop arrangement to keep the Irish border open after Brexit are to be published “shortly”.
Corbyn asked whether the White Paper would appear before the crucial EU summit later this month.
He added: “Next week, we will be debating the most important piece of legislation for a very long time and we still have not seen the Government’s negotiating position.”
Again, May did not answer the question, asking Corbyn instead to rule out any Labour support for a referendum on a final Brexit deal.
Corbyn added: “We were told three weeks ago, to a great deal of fanfare, that this White Paper would set out the Government’s ambition for the UK’s future relationship with the EU and their vision for a future role in the world. It’s nowhere to be seen. No answer is there as to when it will be published.”
The proposal threatens to test Cabinet unity, with Brexiteers such as David Davis reported to be pushing for a provision to ensure the UK can withdraw from the EU without a deal.
Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer admitted the party were “very divided” ahead of next week’s Commons votes.
But he defended the shadow cabinet’s refusal to support Labour backbenchers who have pleaded for a chance to defeat May by voting for Britain to remain in the European Economic Area (EEA) after it leaves the EU.
We still have not seen the Government’s negotiating position JEREMY CORBYN IN COMMONS YESTERDAY