Fears of softer Brexit as May agrees to Corbyn talks
Two of Luciana Berger’s ‘worst’ critics are old friends of John Mcdonnell and Emily Thornberry
THERESA May has agreed to talks with Jeremy Corbyn over his plans for a soft Brexit that would keep Britain tied to the single market and locked in a customs union with the EU.
In a letter to Mr Corbyn, the Prime Minister did not rule out his demand for a “permanent” customs union, although she said it would present a “negotiating challenge”.
She also agreed to talks on the Labour leader’s call for “close alignment” with the single market, as well as committing to asking Parliament if it wishes to follow EU rules on workers’ rights and environment standards. The letter to Mr Corbyn has alarmed Tory Eurosceptics, who fear the Prime Minister could ultimately change tack and back keeping Britain in a customs union with the EU.
Jacob Rees-mogg, a senior Eurosceptic Tory MP, said: “As the 2017 Conservative manifesto promised to leave the customs union, it would be more consistent for the Prime Minister simply to rule one out.”
Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, repeatedly refused to rule out quitting if Mrs May bowed to demands from Labour and some of her own backbenchers to keep Britain in a customs union.
However, Downing Street last night said it was “nonsense” to suggest that the Prime Minister’s letter to Mr Corbyn was “leaving the door open to his customs union idea”.
A spokesman added: “We must have an independent trade policy.”
A senior Labour source last night said that Mrs May’s comments were “constructive” and indicated that another meeting would be arranged.
In her letter, Mrs May insisted that her own deal already “provides for the benefits of a customs union” while enabling an independent trade policy. She said the “fundamental negotiating challenge” is that Mr Corbyn’s plan will require the UK to stay in the single market and accept free movement, a breach of Labour’s own manifesto.
However in a move that surprised Tory MPS and some ministers, she did not explicitly rule out keeping the UK in a customs union with the EU.
She also said she wanted discussions between Tory and Labour teams to consider “alternative arrangements” to the Irish backstop and said cross-party support for security cooperation sent a “powerful signal” to Brussels.
Mrs May also signalled that the Government would give extra money to Labour constituencies that have been “left behind”, despite accusations from critics that it amounted to bribes for votes.
She also wrote: “It is good to see that we agree that the UK should leave the EU with a deal and that the urgent task at hand is to find a deal that honours our commitments to the people of Northern Ireland, can command support in Parliament and can be negotiated with the EU – not to seek an election or second referendum.”
Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, has suggested there should be a second referendum if Mrs May rejected Mr Corbyn’s demands.
‘It is good to see that we agree that the UK should leave the European Union with a deal’
HARD-LEFT activists accused of supporting efforts to force out a pregnant Jewish Labour MP are closely associated with members of Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, it can be revealed.
The Daily Telegraph has learnt that two members of Luciana Berger’s local branch executive – which last Tuesday agreed to put motions of no confidence in her to a vote – are longstanding friends of John Mcdonnell and Emily Thornberry.
An ally of Ms Berger has accused the activists of being two of her fiercest critics, telling this newspaper that they are among “the worst”.
The latest controversy has threatened a major rift within the shadow cabinet, with Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, demanding that the Wavertree party be suspended over its treatment of Ms Berger.
His calls were yesterday echoed by Tony Blair, who told Sky News that it was “shameful” that a “smart and capable” MP like Ms Berger was being targeted.
However, their request has been rejected by Jennie Formby, Labour’s general secretary, while the party chairman Ian Lavery has claimed it would be “unacceptable” for whole constituency branches to be “subject to trial by social media”.
The Daily Telegraph can disclose that one of the activists on the Wavertree executive, Royston Bentham, is a former union activist who has campaigned alongside John Mcdonnell for years and whose wedding reception the shadow chancellor recently attended.
Mr Bentham, who has described Mr Mcdonnell as a “brother”, has previously criticised Ms Berger over her lack of support for Mr Corbyn, and last year demanded that she apologise to her constituents.
Last night Mr Mcdonnell told The Daily Telegraph that he was “proud” to call Mr Bentham “a friend”, adding: “Roy Bentham is someone who I have worked with in campaigns against the blacklisting of trade unionists.
“I sit on the Kop with him at Anfield whenever I can. He has been a strong supporter of the Hillsborough campaign for justice.”
The second, Philip Maxwell, is a close family friend of Ms Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, and has previously criticised Ms Berger over her support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism.
After the motions against Ms Berger were withdrawn on Friday, Mr Maxwell and his partner shared a social media post which suggested that the MP had used her pregnancy to curry sympathy.
The post, written by a Corbyn supporter, stated: “She refused to rule out joining a new party, then refused to say unequivocally that she wanted a Labour government.
“Worse still she pleads antisemitism, bullying and her belly when her local party try to say they’re pissed off about that.”
Last night, a spokesman for Ms Thornberry said she “fully supports and stands with Luciana Berger in the campaign against the scourge of antisemitism, and she has consistently urged every member of the Labour movement to do the same”.
Mr Maxwell and Mr Bentham did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the Wavertree party has rejected allegations that Ms Berger has been targeted due to her Jewish background as “false and slanderous”. It also rejected “the media inaccuracies and the accusations of political bullying”.
It added that the executive has “no control over motions submitted by CLP members and very little choice on whether to debate legitimately submitted motions”.
The two motions submitted against Ms Berger were dropped on Friday, less than 24 hours after The Daily Telegraph revealed that another one of the signatories had previously described her as a “disruptive Zionist” and propagated conspiracy theories about Israel supporting Isis.
Mr Maxwell shared a post which suggested Ms Berger had used her pregnancy to curry sympathy