Government, opposition continue search for a Brexit plan
THE BRITISH government and senior opposition figures met Thursday to seek a new plan on how the country leaves the European Union (EU), as Prime Minister Theresa May tried to limit divisions within her Conservative Party inflamed by her shift toward compromise.
May faced fury from anti-EU Conservatives after she agreed to talks with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who favours a softer form of Brexit than the plan advocated by the government. Two junior ministers have resigned, and more could follow.
May and Corbyn met for two hours Wednesday, with both sides calling the talks “constructive”. Government and Labour teams held more detailed discussions Thursday.
The cross-party talks are risky for both the Conservatives and Labour, with each party split down the middle over Brexit.
Labour is formally committed to enacting the voters’ decision to leave the EU, but many of its lawmakers want a new referendum that could keep Britain in the bloc. They will be angry if the party actively helps bring about the United Kingdom’s departure.
Others in the party – especially those from areas that voted strongly to leave the EU – are adamant Brexit must not be halted. Twenty-five Labour lawmakers wrote to Corbyn yesterday to urge him not to push for a second referendum, saying it would “simply divide the country further and add uncertainty for business”.
Pro-Brexit Conservatives, meanwhile, are angry at the prospect of a softer Brexit that keeps Britain bound closely to EU trade rules and standards.
CALL FOR FLEXIBILITY
Treasury chief Philip Hammond said both parties needed to be flexible to break the Brexit impasse.
“When you enter into a negotiation like this to find a compromise way forward, both parties have to give something up,” he told broadcaster ITV. “There is going to be pain on both sides.”
The political paralysis over Brexit has left Britain facing a possible chaotic departure from the EU in just over a week.