Labour’s position What the Opposition says on Brexit

Customs union

Jeremy Corbyn told Michel Barnier he was “open” to the idea of staying in the customs union, according to a briefing note seen by The Daily Telegraph.

This is at odds with his stated position on Jan 28, when he told The Andrew

Marr Show on BBC One: “We would want a form of customs union. Obviously whether it would be the customs union, answer no, because it would require being a member of the EU, which we’re not.”

Citizens’ rights

Mr Corbyn offered to give a “unilateral guarantee” that EU citizens’ rights would be maintained during a transition period, which is in line with Labour policy as previously stated.

Transition period

Mr Corbyn raised the idea of a transition period that would extend beyond the December 2020 date currently proposed by the EU. Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, has said transition should be “as short as possible, but as long as is necessary”. However, John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, said in September: “We’ve said at least two years, and possibly more. I think it will be around about three or fours years, something like that.”

European Court of Justice Mr Corbyn told Mr Barnier that Labour would be more open to oversight from the European Court of Justice than the Conservatives. Sir Keir has spoken in the past about “a new role for the ECJ or an independent court to oversee future EU/UK relationships”.

Irish border

Labour’s exact position on Northern Ireland’s border with Ireland is unclear, but Mr Corbyn told Mr Barnier that his positions on Brexit – including his thoughts on the customs union – would make it far easier to resolve the Irish border issue.