Plaid ‘behind Corbyn for PM to block Brexit’
PLAID Cymru says it would back Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister – if he blocks Brexit. Today, a cross-party meeting will be held between the Labour leader and MPs from other parties to discuss Brexit.
Mr Corbyn has set up the meeting to discuss avoiding a no-deal departure from the EU and he is expected to ask for support to form a temporary government to seek an extension to Article 50 and secure a general election.
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and Westminster group leader Liz
Saville Roberts will meet with the Labour leader.
Mr Price said: “We are approaching the cross-party meeting with an open mind, but also a healthy dose of scepticism.
“With time running dangerously short and with a Prime Minister intent on pursuing a crash-out Brexit, Mr Corbyn must realise that we
cannot back him unless he makes a totally unqualified commitment to Remain. This means exploring every avenue available in Parliament to achieve that aim.
“Just last week Mr Corbyn failed to confirm that a Labour government under his leadership would campaign for Remain in a second referendum if a deal negotiated by Labour were also on the ballot.
“In the meeting we will tell Mr Corbyn that he cannot expect to become prime minister and then seek to secure a ‘better’ deal to put on a referendum ballot paper when no such deal exists.
“If he wants our backing to be prime minister, he has to commit fully and unreservedly to keeping Wales and the rest of the UK in the European Union.”
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has said Mr Corbyn is putting any noconfidence vote in Boris Johnson at risk.
In a letter to the Labour leader, Ms Swinson said his insistence on being interim leader meant there was a danger not enough MPs would support the vote.
Ms Swinson added: “Insisting you lead that emergency government will therefore jeopardise the chances of a no-confidence vote gaining enough support to pass in the first place.
“As you have said that you would do anything to avoid no-deal, I hope you are open to a discussion about how conceding this point may open the door to a no-confidence vote succeeding. Its success must be the priority.”
Many MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit, in particular “key Conservative MPs”, have rejected Mr Corbyn as the leader of a caretaker government.
Ms Swinson said veteran MPs Tory Ken Clarke and Labour’s Harriet Harman had indicated they would be willing to lead an emergency government.
Ms Swinson called on Mr Corbyn to spell out whether he was opposed to Brexit altogether.
“You have previously said that you would seek to negotiate a Labour Brexit if in power and Labour’s Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell recently suggested that Labour could remain neutral in a future People’s Vote,” she said.
“It would be appreciated by Remain voters across the country that both your personal and your party’s position could be clarified in these discussions.”
On a visit to Swansea last week Mr Corbyn said: “Labour is a party that are utterly determined to stop a cliffedge no-deal exit from the European Union on October 31 – we represent people who voted both leave and remain in the referendum. People who voted leave didn’t vote to lose their jobs, didn’t vote for deregulation of our economy.
“Boris Johnson will take us straight into the arms of Donald Trump and deregulation will follow, so Labour will take every action it can in Parliament to prevent a no-deal exit and ensure people in this country have the choice between remain and nodeal, leave or any other option that’s put there.”