Labour attempts to break ‘deadlock’ on Irish issue

Labour is launching a new parliamentary bid to force the Government to release details of its proposals for post-brexit customs arrangements on the Irish border.

Jeremy Corbyn’s party has tabled a motion in the Commons for debate today designed to break the “deadlock” over the so-called “customs partnership” and “maximum facilitation” models.

The move came as Theresa May’s Brexit ‘war cabinet’ met again without reaching agreement on which of the two it will back.

The EU is putting pressure on Britain to present its preferred option at the upcoming meeting of the European Council in June, though Downing Street insists it will not put a timetable on the process.

Conservative MPS were invited into Downing Street on Monday for a briefing from the PM and chief of staff Gavin Barwell on the “customs partnership”, believed to be Mrs May’s preferred option, under which the UK would collect tariffs on the EU’S behalf, and the “max fac” scheme, which involves the use of technology to minimise friction at the Irish border.

But EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is reported to have told a Brussels meeting that it was not worth fighting about the two UK proposals, as neither of them is “realistic”.

Labour’s motion would require the Government to release to Parliament all papers prepared for the sub-committee on the two customs models, including any economic analysis.